The Museums Association (MA) responded to the Arts Council England review.
The Arts Council England review considers how Arts Council England nurtures creativity at all levels, from community arts to international masterpieces, and explores ways to enhance this through stronger dynamic partnerships between national and regional stakeholders.
In our response we asked for:
- A greater policy function to support joint sector advocacy at a time when museums and the wider culture sector are facing severe financial pressures
- Joined up research and data across the four nations of the UK so there is a clear and consistent picture of the UK museum and gallery sector
- The arms-length principle to be strengthened to prevent direct interference from government
- The development of a museum strategy for England
- ACE to provide long-term funding that supports museums to plan for the future and build effective partnerships
- Greater transparency around how and why decisions are made
- Grantium’s interface complex to be simplified process to make it more user friendly
- A simpler reporting scheme for NPO organisations
- Alignment between Accreditation and the Code of Ethics to be retained
- ACE’s work supporting collections and cultural property to have more emphasis on dynamic and sustainable collections management and development, including disposal
- New public investment in museums so that everyone has the right to access a high-quality museum service where they live