The Stage

Equity launches online survey on funding after ACE cuts cause outrage

Published Tuesday 12 February 2008 at 17:20 by Lalayn Baluch

Equity has launched an online survey to discover the industry’s views on whether the arts funding system should be changed following Arts Council England’s spending review, which prompted “unprecedented anger from the theatrical world”.

The questionnaire asks people whether cultural organisations they have worked for have benefited from ACE subsidy, their opinions on the handling of the recent funding decisions, and how the current system can be improved.

The survey is expected to be online until mid-March and will be used for the basis of a report that will be submitted to newly-appointed culture secretary Andy Burnham, calling for an independent review of the spending process.

Equity’s research and parliamentary affairs officer Matt Payton said: “I think the survey is helpful, because it helps us continue the next stage in the campaign. Although the decisions have now been made, and some of them have been reversed, which is welcome, we can’t just stand still and wait for the next funding round. We need to engage now, review the process now, so we don’t find ourselves in the same position in three year’s time.”

According to Payton, 700 people completed the survey within three days of it being launched - 99% of whom were Equity members. Initial findings reveal that 70% of respondents rated the transparency of ACE’s decisions as poor or very poor, while 68% gave ACE’s explanations for funding the same low rating.

The principle of arms-length funding was supported by 72% of people and only 2.4% said they believed all funding decisions should be taken by the central government. However, 47% of people supported the idea that some national companies should be subsidised directly from the government.

Meanwhile, 86% upheld the view that artists should be given a greater role in funding decisions - with 80% calling for arts practitioners to participate on regional arts councils, and 77% preferring inclusion in national arts councils. The early figures also reveal that 50% of people are willing to participate in a review of the funding process, and 77% would like to see the creation of an arts advisory panel.

Last week ACE announced it is planning to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the theatre sector, which will inform its 2011 spending review. The funding body had already said it was looking to re-introduce some form of peer review system, and following the announcement of its final funding decisions, new ACE chief executive Alan Davey said he planned to bring in an “external eye” to look at what had happened over the past two months.

The survey is available at www.equity.org.uk