User:Artsdebate

The Arts Debate

Arts Council England

What is the arts debate? The arts debate is a major programme to explore how people value the arts. It combines in-depth research with wider consultation and debate. It will bring together members of the public, artists, arts organisations and other key stakeholders to share their opinions and set some new expectations for public investment in the arts.

Why have a debate? 2006 is the Arts Council’s 60th birthday. This is not only a time to celebrate past successes, it is also an opportunity to look forward. The Arts Council is committed to widening and deepening public engagement with the arts and to becoming more accountable for how we spend public money. The arts debate will help us better understand public aspirations for the arts, and how they can be balanced with the needs of artists and arts organisations. By opening up the debate in this way we may create some entirely new possibilities for the arts in England.

How will it work? The arts debate will consist of a programme of formal research and a wider public discussion. The research will be devised to ensure that the views of all our stakeholders are represented, including the public, artists and arts organisations. Research with the public will involve people from all walks of life, all around the country, and will include those who have no current involvement in the arts as well as those who are passionate about them. The findings of the research will be used to shape the questions we ask in a wider debate in the New Year, when everyone will be able to have their say on this website and at a series of events around the country. The results of both the research and the wider debate will inform what the Arts Council does in the future.

Our advisory panel The Arts Council have invited an independent panel to contribute their expertise to the development of the arts debate, and to ensure that the process is rigorous and transparent. The panel members are:

Philip Cullum, Deputy Chief Executive, National Consumer Council Andrew Graham, Master, Balliol College, Oxford Tony Hall, Chief Executive, The Royal Opera House Julia Hobsbawm, Founder and Director, Editorial Intelligence Ian Kearns, Deputy Director, ippr Dame Suzi Leather, Chair, Charity Commission Masood Lone, Head of Equalities and Social Inclusion, London Borough of Camden