After two years funding regional museums, there is now a chance to take stock of how Arts Council England (ACE) is doing.
The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee is holding an inquiry into ACE. But it must pay special attention to the ACE’s new museum responsibilities, and not focus on performing arts.
As you would expect, the committee will “examine the economic and artistic criteria that underpin funding decisions”.
My sense is that museums are generally pleased with ACE’s economic and “artistic” decisions (although the use of the word shows that ACE, or at least the committee, is not necessarily in a museum frame of mind).
Funding certainly seems to be better allocated than it was by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
The committee is “seeking views on whether the geographical distribution of funding is fair and the justification for the current weighting of this towards London”.
This gives a chance to consider the findings of Rebalancing our Cultural Capital, last year’s shocking report that revealed culture spending per head is perhaps 10 times higher in London.
Many national organisations (but not the MA) have kept their heads down about this. This inquiry means they won’t be able to ignore it any longer.
The committee will try to reach a consensus. It will be their opinion and isn’t binding. But public bodies usually pay close attention and sometimes alter what they do.
It is vital that the committee has clear things to say about museums. Send your views on ACE’s performance to me so that they can be taken account in the MA’s submission, which needs to be completed in mid-February.
maurice@museumsassociation.org
Maurice Davies is the head of policy and communications at the Museums Association
The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee is holding an inquiry into ACE. But it must pay special attention to the ACE’s new museum responsibilities, and not focus on performing arts.
As you would expect, the committee will “examine the economic and artistic criteria that underpin funding decisions”.
My sense is that museums are generally pleased with ACE’s economic and “artistic” decisions (although the use of the word shows that ACE, or at least the committee, is not necessarily in a museum frame of mind).
Funding certainly seems to be better allocated than it was by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
The committee is “seeking views on whether the geographical distribution of funding is fair and the justification for the current weighting of this towards London”.
This gives a chance to consider the findings of Rebalancing our Cultural Capital, last year’s shocking report that revealed culture spending per head is perhaps 10 times higher in London.
Many national organisations (but not the MA) have kept their heads down about this. This inquiry means they won’t be able to ignore it any longer.
The committee will try to reach a consensus. It will be their opinion and isn’t binding. But public bodies usually pay close attention and sometimes alter what they do.
It is vital that the committee has clear things to say about museums. Send your views on ACE’s performance to me so that they can be taken account in the MA’s submission, which needs to be completed in mid-February.
maurice@museumsassociation.org
Maurice Davies is the head of policy and communications at the Museums Association
