News and Policy Brief – August 10
Last month was another frenetic period for policy developments and this is a bumper edition of our brief.
1) Central Government:
Public Bodies
In what has been termed the ‘bonfire of the quangos’, the Coalition Government began to cut public bodies as part of its cost cutting and efficiency drives. In parliament on 26 July, Jeremy Hunt Secretary of State for Culture, Media, the Olympics and Sport announced that 16 of the 55 public bodies that fall within the remit of DCMS will be merged, streamlined or abolished. Hunt said:
“I have made it my priority to examine our network of public bodies critically with the aim of improving accountability, transparency and value for money … “In line with the commitments set out in the coalition document, I have been applying the Government’s agreed tests to each of our bodies: does it perform a technical function?; Does it need to be politically impartial?; And does it act independently to establish facts?”
See Hansard p83 for his full statement
Significantly for the craft sector, particularly museums with craft collections, the DCMS has proposed that the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is amongst the raft of DCMS bodies to be abolished in 2012. According to DCMS, government support for museums, libraries and archives will continue but key functions carried out by the MLA will be transferred to other, existing organisations, although details of how and where work will be undertaken are as yet unclear. MLA Chief Executive Roy Clare has said that the organisation is in conversation with Arts Council England about merging activity related to museums. More here
Other public bodies which DCMS plans to either abolish or review include the UK Film Council, English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Build Environment, further details are on the department’s website
Department for Media Culture and Sport
Structural Reform Plan
In other DCMS news, Jeremy Hunt has published the Department’s Structural Reform Plan – the document that all central government departments have to produce to show how they are delivering the policies in the Coalition Agreement. The DCMS plan sets out the following spending priorities for the next three years:
- Delivering a safe and successful Olympic and Paralympic Games with a lasting legacy.
- Boosting the Big Society agenda by encouraging philanthropic giving and returning the National Lottery to its founding principles.
- Encouraging investment in the media and reducing regulation.
- Delivering universal broad band by 2015.
- Encouraging competitive sport in schools.
In comparison with Hunt’s original proposals for culture, outlined in our June brief, only the increase in philanthropic giving and reform of the national lottery appear in the DCMS Structural Reform Plan; strategies for culture, heritage and other areas will be announced after the Spending Review in October. See the DCMS website for details.
Department of Business Innovation and Skills
Graduate Contributions
In a speech delivered on 15 July, Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills covered key debates about the effect on higher education of the current levels of public funding cuts.
Cable gave a resounding endorsement of the unique contribution of UK universities, both to the economy and through the socio-cultural roles they play. We strongly welcome his reference to the importance of arts and skills training alongside the STEM subjects, and his calls for equal but distinct values in the status of higher and further education qualifications. However, the overall message for public financing for universities is bleak; cuts to universities will be deep and the Government is exploring the feasibility of variable graduate contributions to fees linked to graduate’s future incomes.
The full transcript of the speech is available from BIS and the Crafts Council response can be found on our website
Independent Review of Fees and Co-funding in FE in England
BIS has also published the final report of the independent review by Christopher N Banks CBE, which contains recommendations for a series of funding shifts in adult education. Recommendations centre on improving the system for securing ‘co-investment’ in courses from the government and adults and employers who ‘can and should’ contribute – specifically to courses which improve skills and capabilities. The review also calls for increased transparency about when and how the Government will provide funds and for developing a user centred system. Access the full document here
Research Excellence Framework
Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts has announced a one-year delay to the review of the Research Excellence Framework (REF); according to BIS this will enable the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to examine how to assess impact in a manner which is both methodologically sound and acceptable to the academic community. The delay will require Higher Education Institutions to make their submissions in 2013 with the completion of the first REF in 2014, to inform funding from 2015. More details here
Review of the Design Council
In other BIS news, on 16 July David Willetts announced a review to consider the future role and status of the Design Council. The review is led by Martin Temple CBE, Chair of the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) and a member of the Design Council Board. Recommendations are to be submitted to BIS and DCMS ministers in September and the short timeframe means there will be no public consultation. However, stakeholders can comment by completing a short questionnaire which covers issues including the importance of the Design Council’s work and the role of the Government in encouraging effective use of design. The questionnaire is available here
Communities and Local Government
As we reported in out July brief, the Government is to replace Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) with new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which aim to bring councils and businesses together. Over the past ten years RDAs have been responsible for supporting a number of cultural projects and the Government will publish a White Paper on Economic Growth later in the summer.
Last month, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles continued to emphasise the importance of small businesses in LEPs and called for local authorities and businesses to submit their proposals, arguing that they are vital for economic recovery. See the Communities and Local Government website
And Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, Mark Prisk along with Minister for Decentralisation, Greg Clark, hosted a round table event with business groups, local authorities and think tanks to hear their views on the creation of local enterprise partnerships. See the BIS news story
In our July brief, we also reported on the Regional Growth Fund which has been proposed by the Government to support projects with the potential to deliver economic growth. Lord Heseltine will chair the Independent Approval Panel for the £1bn Regional Growth Fund, and the Department of Business has launched a consultation on the fund to which the Crafts Council is preparing a response. More here
Ministerial Activities
Jeremy Hunt
Last month Jeremy Hunt visited India with the Prime Minister as part of a delegation of senior government ministers and leading figures from business, industry, arts, media and sport.
In our June brief, we reported references, made in parliamentary debates on foreign policy measures in the Queen’s address, to the importance of culture in depending ties with emerging economies and following Hunt’s visit a new Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the UK and India. The agreement aims to boost cultural exchange and will lead to a five year programme of cultural activities in the two countries. Read the DCMS press release here
David Willetts Minister for Higher Education and Science was also part of the delegation and BIS has now announced an extension to the UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) which has already fostered over 600 ties between British and Indian HEIs. Further development of the programme will focus on issues including skills. Read more here
John Hayes
In addition to his role as Minister of State at the Department of Business, John Hayes has been appointed Minister of State at the Department of Education. His portfolio at BIS includes areas relevant to the craft sector, particularly informal adult learning, life long learning, skills and apprenticeships. At the Department of Education apprenticeships and careers advice will now fall under his remit. Read more here
Grant Shapps
We were encouraged to see Minister for Housing and Local Government, Grant Shapps champion the importance of good design in housing last month. Speaking to an audience of architects, planners and developers at the Housing Design Awards, he commented:
“In these straightened times, grand design is more important than ever.”
He also echoed the Big Society agenda stating that:
“Rather than being told what will be built and where, residents of villages, towns and cities will be given powerful financial incentives to develop their own vision for the community.”
More on the Department of Communities and Local Government website
Launch of Big Society:
There has been much coverage of the launch of David Cameron’s “big society” drive to empower communities, which he describes as his “great passion”. Four pilot projects have been set up in Liverpool, Eden Valley; Cumbria; Windsor and Maidenhead; and the London borough of Sutton, each of the project areas will have dedicated civil servants to ensure the “people power” initiatives get off the ground.
Some of these initiatives chime with the new DCMS priorities and include support to speed up broadband supply and recruiting volunteers to keep museums open.
Details of how the Big Society agenda will play out beyond the pilot initiatives are as yet unclear, but it is expected that all government departments will eventually contribute to the agenda, and that projects will be devised locally perhaps in conjunction with the Your Square Mile initiative. Support will be available through the new Big Society Bank using funds from dormant bank accounts, and civil servants may be made available to provide assistance.
Your Freedom
In our July brief we reported on the Government’s new online initiative Your Freedom which provides a forum for members of the public to debate policy proposals. We highlighted the section on small businesses and proposed dropping the tax on winners of open-entry award schemes.
2) Consultations
As part of our continuing advocacy work for the craft sector we have been participating in a number of public consultations. In the June brief we outlined key issues in the European Commission consultation, ‘Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries’, our full response is now available. We also referred to the DCMS Consultation on the National Lottery Shares; our response to this is also available
In addition, we are preparing responses to the following consultations:
Greater London Authority – Cultural Metropolis: The Mayors Draft Cultural Strategy (deadline, 6 September 2010)
Department of Business – Consultation on the Regional Growth Fund (deadline, 6 September 2010)
Department of Business – Skills for Sustainable Growth: Consultation on the future direction of skills policy (deadline, 14 October 2010)
3) News from the Cultural Sector
Arts Council England
RFO Briefings
In response to the recent and anticipated cuts in funding for the arts ACE hosted regional briefings for all its regularly funded organisations over the course of last month.
Arts Nation
ACE is to launch a major national public engagement programme in the autumn which aims to encourage cultural participation amongst the ‘broadest possible’ demographic. The programme will deliver a large scale awareness raising media campaign, provide information on the cultural offer through an ‘online arts hub’ and fund engagement initiatives across the country. See the ACE website
for more information.
Culture Forum
Elections for the Arts & Business/National Campaign for the Arts Culture Forum were held last month and the Forum met for the first time on 27 July. The Forum has been established in response to the anticipated 25-40% cuts to public funding for the cultural sector, and will consider the new challenges and opportunities facing the sector as well as alternative funding structures. It also aims to act as a unified voice for the sector and will report to the Government in September. The first meeting looked at public finance – minutes are available here
We welcome the fact that the Forum includes participants with an overview of the sector and others with expertise in the visual arts. We will continue to talk to NCA and Arts & Business about the need to ensure that issues relating to craft are well-explored.
Cultural Learning Alliance
Creativity Culture and Education is encouraging teachers show support for cultural learning by signing up to the Cultural Learning Alliance, which champions the importance of cultural learning and participation in schools and provides information sharing and news updates. In November 2010, the Alliance is hosting a week of national events; we encourage representatives from craft teaching to participate and sign up for the alliance. See the Cultural Learning Alliance website to add your signature and for further details of the events.
Derry 2011 City of Culture
The city of Derry won its bid to be the first UK city of culture in 2013. Birmingham, Norwich and Sheffield were also shortlisted. The bid includes an extensive arts programme and plans will be finalised in November 2011. More here
3) Publications
ACE – Why the Arts Matter
Ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review, Arts Council England has published an advocacy toolkit to assist organisations in their campaigns around cuts to arts funding. The toolkit recommends collaborative approaches between organisations which are tailored for different stakeholders and respond to rather than criticize government policy. It also outlines practical actions about how to reach the right stakeholders in government and beyond. In addition, ACE has made key messages and data about why the arts matter available for use by organisations. The toolkit is available here
ACE Self Evaluation Framework
ACE has also launched a ‘self-evaluation framework’ designed to act as a self-monitoring tool for arts organisations and to help them with future planning. The framework includes questions and resources to help organisations assess how effectively they are fulfilling their mission; there is also a comment function for information sharing. Explore the framework here
ACE Achieving Great Art for Everyone
The results of a public consultation run by ACE to respond to its 10-year strategic framework are now available. The consultation ran from January to April 2010 and attracted responses from over 2,500 participants.
Great Art for Everyone set out five key goals for the arts:
- that talent and artistic excellence thrive and are celebrated
- that arts leaders and the cultural workforce are diverse and highly skilled
- that more people value and enjoy the arts
- every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts
- the arts sector is sustainable and innovative
Read ACE’s analysis of the responses here
ACE – Annual Review
The ACE 2010 annual review can now be downloaded from its website
CASE Reports
The Culture and Sport Evidence programme (CASE), a two year interdisciplinary research initiative sponsored by DCMS, ACE, English Heritage, Museums, Libraries and Archives and Sport England, has published its first set of reports, databases and toolkits. The programme aimed to identify factors which drive engagement in the arts and to assess their impact on people’s lives in the UK.
Four reports have so far been published:
- Understanding the drivers, impacts and value of engagement in culture and sport: an over-arching summary of the research
- Drivers of Engagement – examines factors that influence people’s participation in culture and sport.
- Impacts of Engagement – assesses the learning impacts for young people of involvement in culture and sport.
- Value of Engagement – considers the estimated well-being gains derived from engagement in culture and health gains associated with sport.
The Crafts Council took part in initial research and welcomes the findings which provide a broad evidence base of the positive social outcomes associated with engagement in the arts and can inform future policy.
We encourage representatives from the crafts sector to look at the CASE research in conjunction with the Crafts Council’s own recent sector specific research for material to support arguments about the economic and social significance of the sector.
Further information on CASE is available here and the Crafts Council’s research can be found on our website
Creating Growth: A Blueprint for the Creative Industries
Last month the Confederation of British Industry published a blueprint for the creative industries; Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt and President Helen Alexander spoke at the launch. We are encouraged to see recognition from the business community of the economic and socio-cultural importance of creative industries which supports our own research in the area.
The blueprint is available here
Driving Innovation
The timely publication of NESTA’s latest report on cities examines how cities can foster the economic growth necessary for recovery in the face of radical reductions in public financing. Using Manchester as a case study the report argues that encouraging innovation is a key way for cities to create the right conditions for economic growth. Creativity, including the creative industries and creative graduates, is seen as important sources of growth. Read more here
AIR Roadmap
Artists’ Interaction and Representation, has launched a framework which will provide a channel for artists to communicate their concerns to government. Read more here
4) Parliamentary Round up:
Select Committees:
Full membership of House of Commons Select Committees has now been announced. See the UK Parliament Website for members of the Culture Media and Sport, Business Innovation and Skills Committees, Education and Communities and Local Government Committees
The Culture Media and Sport Committee has launched several inquiries; particularly relevant for the sector is the inquiry into Funding of Arts and Heritage which is inviting submissions on the issue of future funding, specifically:
- What impact recent, and future, spending cuts from central and local Government will have on the arts and heritage at a national and local level
- What arts organisations can do to work more closely together in order to reduce duplication of effort and to make economies of scale;
- What level of public subsidy for the arts and heritage is necessary and sustainable;
The deadline for submission is 2 September and the relevant evidence session on ‘DCMS Accounts 2009-10 and Responsibilities of the Secretary of State’ will be held on 14 September, it is open to members of the public.
Early Day Motion:
Alison McGovern MP for Wirral South has submitted an EDM on the topic of arts funding. To date the motion has 32 signatures, it reads as follows:
‘That this House celebrates the cultural value of the arts and entertainment sector; notes that the creative industries are a large employer and are currently growing at more than twice the rate of the rest of the economy, contributing 11.4 billion to the UK’s balance of trade; and therefore reaffirms a commitment to public investment in the arts because the sector generates more for the economy than the amount invested, and provides a solid basis for the wider creative industries.’
Follow the motion here
In Parliament:
In written answers to DCMS Jeremy Hunt provided details of the budgetary headings under which the £88 million of efficiency savings allocated to his department in May will fall. Hunt reported that each body is responsible for determining how to distribute cuts in their own budgets. See Hansard pp130-131 for the breakdown
A number of questions about arts funding were directed to Culture Ministers in the Commons last month.
Alison McGovern MP for Wirral South asked Jeremy Hunt about the potentially differential impacts on regions from reductions in arts funding, he reported that detailed work to analyse the impact of changes is being carried out over the summer. See Hansard p166.
In written answers to DCMS, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Ed Vaizey, reported that whilst some arts sectors had withstood the recession well other areas including private giving have been impacted negatively. See Hansard p143.
And in response to questions from John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, Vaizey reiterated that the future of arts funding will be announced in the autumn with the Comprehensive Spending Review, he also commented that at present there are no plans to ring-fence arts funding. See Hansard p95.
Minister for Tourism and Heritage John Penrose led an extensive debate in the Commons about the reform of the National Lottery. He stressed that Lottery funding should be used in addition to rather than instead of public funds and reaffirmed the Government’s plans to restore it to the original ‘good causes’, which as we reported in July could mean an extra £50 million a year for the arts. However, a number of ministers expressed concerns that the Lottery will replace public funds for culture. See Hansard pp81-96.
