Arts Council England Funding Book Avoids Key Crises, Critics Say

(MENAFN- USA Art News) A new book celebrating 80 years of Arts Council England (ACE) is drawing criticism for presenting an incomplete history of the funding organization. Titled Made in England: Art and Culture in Changing Times, the book marks the departure of Nicholas Serota as chairman after nine years, with Serota providing the introduction.

Critics argue the book overlooks significant challenges faced by ACE, established in 1946 as the Arts Council of Great Britain. It notably omits discussions of crises that led to the dissolution of Regional Arts Boards, the impact of the National Lottery, and the substantial one-third funding cut ACE experienced after 2010. The publication also fails to address the decline in local authority funding or the activities of former arts minister Nadine Dorries. Additionally, it contains no mention of ACE's decision to abandon its ten-year strategy,“Let's Create,” following Margaret Hodge's 2025 report.

The book comprises 16 essays, primarily from contributors who view ACE favorably, despite the organization distributing approximately £1 billion annually. Serota acknowledges that“our sector's health depends on money,” and the precarious state of arts funding frequently surfaces within the essays. The United Kingdom ranks second to last among European countries for arts funding. Carlos Acosta, director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, notes a shrinking core ballet audience without a clear replacement. Bobby Seagull, ambassador for National Numeracy, states that stewardship of libraries has“faltered,” while a discussion on“massively undervalued” arts centers highlights the removal of most of their space over the past 20 years. Jacqui O'Hanlon, director of creative learning at the Royal Shakespeare Company, questioned,“How is it that in 2026 we have still not found a universal system that ensures every child, regardless of background, can encounter the arts, and can fulfil their potential?”

Two contributors offer more critical perspectives. Arts consultant Amanda Parker examines Naseem Khan's 1976 report, The Arts That Britain Ignores, which brought“diversity” to the Arts Council's agenda. Parker contends that Khan's focus on community arts, rather than the professional potential of ethnic minorities, inadvertently fostered a“patrician, paternalistic, quasi-colonial view” that persists. Between 2010 and 2020, less than 3% of funding for National Portfolio organizations went to Black, Asian, or minority-led groups, indicating that“funding decisions are still largely made by individuals unfamiliar with the communities they are assessing.”

Jo Verrent, director of the disabled artists commissioning organization Unlimited, highlights the exclusion of disabled artists, despite 25% of the British population having a disability. She stated that“the arts sector has systematically excluded disabled artists” and described herself as“exhausted.”

The essays conclude with ACE chief executive Darren Henley, in post since 2015, discussing his national tours. His chapter, titled“Excellence. For Everybody. Everywhere,” introduces ACE's new mantra, but a definition of“excellence” is not provided. The book, published on July 7, is edited by Sarah Crown, Martin Prendergast, and Nicholas Serota and costs £12.99. Cultural historian Robert Hewison provided this review.

Source: The Art Newspaper

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