February 19, 2016 – 8:45 AM
Darren Henley’s article in the Guardian on the 17th February, “The ENO must evolve for its own sake”, is disingenuous and highlights the problem with the Arts Council and arts funding; a lack of an art form policy that holds the organisation to account for its funding decisions. Before the last funding round in 2015 […]
February 26, 2015 – 9:23 PM
A fight at the opera:Arts Council gives English National Opera last chance to improve”. The Guardian 13th February 2015. This soap has been running for some time. “The Arts Council set strict criteria for awarding National Portfolio funding status, two of which are a competent business plan and sound governance. The Arts Council has blown the […]
February 10, 2015 – 5:11 PM
Charlotte Higgins in her article “Opera’s malaise does not stop at the Coliseum” (2.2.2014) fails to get to grips with the problem of opera “reinventing itself as a crucial part of our national cultural fabric”. The problem is there is no policy for the arts in England. Arts funding is now run like a fifth rate hedge fund that […]
October 7, 2014 – 6:48 PM
It was reported in The Guardian on saturday 27th September 2014 that Alan Davey currently the chief executive of the Arts Council is to take over as Controller of Radio 3. Peter Bazelgette was quoted as saying that “Alan has been a brilliant chief executive of the Arts Council. The BBC and Radio Three is […]
In the Daily Telegraph on the 17th July 2014 Ivan Hewett wrote an interesting analysis on funding of jazz by the Arts Council. A very useful article but the bigger picture required a little more attention which I have set out below. The Arts Council had a real opportunity in 2012/15 to shape the funding […]
The Arts Council is currently deliberating on the funding of the National Portfolio Organisations for the next three years 2015 to 2018. Dryden’s line from Absalom and Achitophel, “Beware the fury of a patient man” neatly describes the feeling of the jazz community in the England towards the appalling under funding of jazz. When Arts […]