News and Events
ACE vows not to repeat mistakes of last investment round
10th Feb 2011
Speaking at the State of the Arts Conference, Forgan said that she had faith in the ability of the arts council to make the correct decisions and said it had worked hard so that it did not repeat “the worst experiences of the last investment round”.
She said: “We have been entirely open in our guidance about what will shape these (funding) decisions. Everyone knows what we are looking for and we know exactly what we’re doing.
“This time the process is transparent. I hope that the criteria on which decisions will be made are equally clear. And I hope that they will be respected by artists and arts organisations because the process of formulating them has been open and collaborative.
“I certainly don’t imagine that when the time comes to announce our funding decisions there will be universal peace and light but we have really done our damndest to make it as good and fair as it can be.”
Her speech comes 48 days before ACE is due to announce its decisions on which arts organisations will receive funding from 2012 to 2015. As many as 100 organisations are expected to lose funding.
A new ‘national portfolio’ funding system will be in place from April 2012 and replaces the regularly funded organisations system, which currently provides funding to around 850 arts organisations across the country. 1,340 organisations have applied to be part of the new portfolio, with around 750 expected to be successful.
Applications are currently being assessed and decisions on which organisations will receive funding will be announced on March 30 2011, with the ACE operating with a 29.6% cut to its grant in aid funding from government.
Following ACE’s last investment round in December 2007 there was widespread protest from within the arts sector, including a meeting at the Young Vic Theatre when a vote of no confidence in the arts council was taken by assembled artists.
Source: The Stage
