Arts Council England’s (ACE) new structure comes into operation today following a restructure that has seen a 21% reduction in staff and the introduction of new regional boundaries.
The changes are a result of ACE’s 2011-15 funding settlement, which require it to reduce its administrative costs by 50%.
The main changes include 117.5 posts scrapped, bringing the number of full-time staff down from 559.5 to 442, and four executive directors replacing the previous eight executive roles.
Leadership of artforms and cultural policy is now divided geographically across the organisation, and everyone has a local and a national focus.
Although the majority of senior level appointments were filled by existing arts council staff, a number people from the arts and museums sectors will be joining the organisation including John Orna-Ornstein, who leaves his post of director of programmes at the British Museum to join ACE as director of museums and the south west.
Amanda Roberts is also joining ACE as director of diversity and the Midlands, having previously worked as arts development director at mac Birmingham. Jane Tarr joins from the Social Investment Business to take up the position of director of organisational resilience, environment sustainability and the North.
Alan Davey, chief executive of ACE, said: “We will continue to advocate for arts and culture at all levels, and to be an intelligent and collaborative investor, leading growth and ambition in the sector. We may be smaller but we will be just as effective, and continue to serve the sector and audiences with knowledge, passion and commitment. ”
But Mark Taylor, director of the Museums Association, said: “We shouldn’t underestimate how hard ACE has been hit. It is expected to maintain all it currently does with half the resources.
"You have to worry how effective it can be when, for example, the person overseeing museums is also the regional manager for the whole of ACE in the south west.”
ACE has now introduced new area boundary changes, replacing its old regional boundaries with five areas covering London, the South East, the South West, the Midlands and the North. Regional offices are located in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol, although some smaller local offices remain.
The new area director are: Sarah Maxfield, North; Peter Knott, Midlands; Phil Gibby, South West; Joyce Wilson, London; Hedley Swain, South East.
There will still be some changes to office arrangements and locations in the coming months. Property costs will reduce by 50% as a result of the reduction in the size of offices.
Click here for more details of ACE’s new model and organisational structure can be found here (pdf)
The changes are a result of ACE’s 2011-15 funding settlement, which require it to reduce its administrative costs by 50%.
The main changes include 117.5 posts scrapped, bringing the number of full-time staff down from 559.5 to 442, and four executive directors replacing the previous eight executive roles.
Leadership of artforms and cultural policy is now divided geographically across the organisation, and everyone has a local and a national focus.
Although the majority of senior level appointments were filled by existing arts council staff, a number people from the arts and museums sectors will be joining the organisation including John Orna-Ornstein, who leaves his post of director of programmes at the British Museum to join ACE as director of museums and the south west.
Amanda Roberts is also joining ACE as director of diversity and the Midlands, having previously worked as arts development director at mac Birmingham. Jane Tarr joins from the Social Investment Business to take up the position of director of organisational resilience, environment sustainability and the North.
Alan Davey, chief executive of ACE, said: “We will continue to advocate for arts and culture at all levels, and to be an intelligent and collaborative investor, leading growth and ambition in the sector. We may be smaller but we will be just as effective, and continue to serve the sector and audiences with knowledge, passion and commitment. ”
But Mark Taylor, director of the Museums Association, said: “We shouldn’t underestimate how hard ACE has been hit. It is expected to maintain all it currently does with half the resources.
"You have to worry how effective it can be when, for example, the person overseeing museums is also the regional manager for the whole of ACE in the south west.”
ACE has now introduced new area boundary changes, replacing its old regional boundaries with five areas covering London, the South East, the South West, the Midlands and the North. Regional offices are located in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol, although some smaller local offices remain.
The new area director are: Sarah Maxfield, North; Peter Knott, Midlands; Phil Gibby, South West; Joyce Wilson, London; Hedley Swain, South East.
There will still be some changes to office arrangements and locations in the coming months. Property costs will reduce by 50% as a result of the reduction in the size of offices.
Click here for more details of ACE’s new model and organisational structure can be found here (pdf)
