Review of Arts Council England: Lead Reviewer

Tuesday 17th December 2024 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

Today I am announcing the appointment of the right hon. the Baroness Hodge of Barking DBE to lead an independent review into the Arts Council England. The review will commence in the new year.

This Government will ensure that the arts and culture will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few. We will also place arts and culture at the heart of our plan for change to deliver growth and break down the barriers to opportunity across the country. This review will ensure that Arts Council England is best positioned to help deliver this and successfully steward our cultural and creative sectors in every part of England, helping to rebuild Britain in a decade of national renewal.

Arts Council England is an executive non-departmental public body, and was established by Royal Charter in 1946. Arts Council England is one of the Government’s primary vehicles to support the arts in England; its role encompasses funding and investment, research, support and advice to the sector, and partnership promotion. It works in partnership with a broad range of individuals and organisations across artforms and at the local, regional and national levels. Arts Council England is also the national development agency for libraries and museums in England.

Now that Baroness Hodge has agreed to take on the review she will work with myself and Arts Council England to finalise the terms of reference which will be published in the new year. However, I expect the review to look at the following areas:

Exploring ACE’s role in supporting excellence across the country, ensuring that everyone is able to participate in and consume culture and creativity, regardless of their background or where they live;

Exploring how ACE engages with its partners and stakeholders at all levels to ensure that national and local priorities work harmoniously to benefit the public;

Evaluating ACE’s role in developing a strong and vibrant creative sector which supports both grassroots creativity and internationally renowned art;

Considering ACE’s role in the wider cultural funding ecosystem, and mechanisms to strengthen the role of local voices in decision making;

Examining how the arm’s length principle is working in relation to the funding of the arts to ensure decisions are taken at the appropriate level;

Assessing ACE’s mandate to ensure it is clear and appropriate for the 21st century able to deliver high-quality arts and culture on a national, regional and local level.

Baroness Hodge will be supported by an advisory panel of experts with a range of experiences. We are working to confirm the final list and this will be published in the new year alongside the terms of reference.

In conducting the review, she will be supported by a small team of officials. Together they will engage with a broad range of stakeholders in the arts and creative sectors across the UK. This will involve individual meetings, group discussions and a survey so that anyone who wants to contribute can do so.

The review will report to the Government in the autumn of 2025, and the Government will publish the conclusions of the review along with the Government’s response in early 2026.

[HCWS322]