Industry takes its case against ACE to Purnell

Published Wednesday 16 January 2008 at 17:00 by Alistair Smith

Exclusive: England’s arts establishment has united to voice “grave concerns” over the way Arts Council England has handled its recent funding announcement, in a letter to culture minister James Purnell which calls for an investigation into the actions of the funding body.

The move comes soon after more than 500 actors and theatre professionals gathered at the Young Vic to pass a vote of no confidence in the council, following its announcement that almost 200 arts organisations were facing the threat of complete cuts to their regular funding.

In a letter written by the National Campaign for the Arts and signed by all the major industry representative groups, including the Society of London Theatre, Theatrical Management Association, Independent Theatre Council, Equity, Bectu, the Musicians’ Union, the Writers’ Guild and the Theatres Trust, Purnell is warned that “the process they [ACE] have followed for this funding round has seriously damaged relations with the sector and other funders, and undoes the good news achieved by the uplift in arts spending announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review.”

It also complains that ACE’s proposals “do not always appear to be based on solid, reliable evidence” and that data used by the council to come to its decisions was, in some cases, “inaccurate and flawed”.

The letter continues: “The timing and the lack of notice for these proposals contravene government’s own compact about how public bodies should deal with voluntary sector organisations (which many arts organisations are). In the past, ACE has tried to ensure an adequate notice and preparation period when taking funding decisions, and has always advised that the sector does the same in regard to its own long-term planning. In fact, the council’s own disinvestment policy refers to timescales of a six-month notice period. It is worrying that ACE is not following its own advice in this instance.

“While we absolutely support the arm’s-length principle, we feel that this situation is of such seriousness that it merits closer inspection.”

• It is understood Purnell is to make a categorical assurance that there will be no further raids on Lottery arts funding to support the 2012 Olympics. His statement was expected in a Commons debate as The Stage went to press.