Henley defends ACE funding decisions

Arts Council England (ACE) Chief Executive Darren Henley has defended investment plans for the next three years following a backlash from organisations that will no longer be funded.

Appearing before a House of Lords select committee, Henley said the decision to remove funding from organisations previously in the National Portfolio for 2018-22 does not represent "a cut", and that future funding possibilities remain open.

Henley's comments come amid protests against ACE's investment plan for 2023-26, with Equity members earlier this week demanding the reinstatment of funding to a number organisations across the country. 

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Responding to questions from Chair of the House of Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee Baroness Stowell on the response to the decisions, Henley indicated that he has no intention of amending the settlement.

"So your main message to them is that you are hearing what they are saying, but your decision has been made and the funding has now been allocated?" Baroness Stowell asked following a series of questions on the issue.

"That's absolutely correct, yes," Henley replied.

'Change is hard'

As part of the investment announcement earlier this month a total of 990 arts and culture organisations will make up the National Portfolio for the next three years receiving a combined £446m a year between them.

But more than 100 organisations previously funded through the portfolio missed out, including the English National Opera, leading to protests against the decision.

"Always with these announcements there's change involved," Henley told the committee. 

"And we understand that change is very hard for organisations and individuals involved in that."

"But we are working very closely with those organisations that are no longer in the portfolio to make sure we look after those as best we can."

"To stress, [reductions in London] wasn't a cut. That money was redistributed to the rest of the country. 

"And also there was an uplift in investment from the government and that money was all distributed to the rest of the country as well.

"From next year we will still be investing £152m in London and that's over 33% of our total investment, so London is still really important for us. 

"It is important we have a capital city that is vibrant and exciting and innovative and able to punch its weight on the international stage.

"But at the same time it's really important that we are taking culture activities to places where we haven't had it before."

Tough decisions

Henley said that some "very tough decisions" had to be made, but added that ACE believes the new National Portfolio is "balanced across the country".

He added that all organisations previously in the National Portfolio knew that their funding was only guaranteed until the end of March next year and that all of the more than 1,700 applicants to the most recent round of funding had been are "treated the same".

"Having said that, all of those organisations we will talk to," Henley said. 

"Every one of those organisations has had conversations already with our team and we will be meeting them and talking to them."

Henley said that some organisations will receive transition funding as part of a programme unveiled earlier this year that is intended to help them find alternative means of funding or wind down.

"After that there are other programmes that we can talk to them about that they can come into and apply for," he added. 

"So we will be having conversations with all of those organisations."