ace stakeholder focus 2012
TRANSCRIPT
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dha & ICM
Arts Council EnglandStakeholder Focus Research
March 2013
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Legal notice
2013 DHA Communications Ltd & ICM Researchall rights reserved
The contents of this report constitute the sole and exclusive property of DHA Communications Ltd & ICM
Research
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This document is an independent report commissioned by Arts Council England.
We introduced the regular Stakeholder Focus survey in 2009, as part of our publicvalue work, helping us to strengthen our relationships with the public and otherstakeholders and to support our mission to bring great art to everyone. The aim ofthe research is to ensure we are in touch with the views of our external stakeholdersand the public, and to explore levels of trust and confidence in the Arts Council, as
well as perceptions of accountability.
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Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 1
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6
2 General public attitudes ................................................................................................... 14
3 General perceptions of the Arts Council .......................................................................... 26
4 The Arts Councils role and impact ................................................................................... 41
5 Working Relationships ...................................................................................................... 60
6 Values and behaviours...................................................................................................... 67
7 Communication ................................................................................................................ 86
8 Future priorities ................................................................................................................ 90
9 Conclusions and recommendations ................................................................................. 94
10 Appendices ....................................................................................................................... 99
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Index of Figures
General public view of the arts ................................................................................................ 15
General public views on public funding of arts and culture, 1 ................................................ 16
General public views on public funding of arts and culture, 2 ................................................ 17
General public views on lottery funding of arts and culture, comparison with public views onpublic funding of the arts ......................................................................................................... 18
Does public funding benefit you or your friends and family?, 1 ............................................. 19
Does public funding benefit everyone/you, your friends and family?, 2 ................................ 20
What should public funding of the arts achieve? .................................................................... 22
General Public views on the Arts Council ................................................................................ 23
Knowledge among the arts and cultural sector and partners ................................................. 26
Favourability among the arts and cultural sector and partners, 1 .......................................... 29
Favourability among the arts and cultural sector and partners, 2 .......................................... 30
Advocacy, 1 .............................................................................................................................. 31
Advocacy, 2 .............................................................................................................................. 32Impressions of the Arts Council ............................................................................................... 35
Impressions of the Arts Council, Year on Year Comparison of Corporate Values ................... 37
Mission and relevance ............................................................................................................. 43
Effectiveness in achieving mission, 1 ....................................................................................... 46
Effectiveness in achieving mission, 2 ....................................................................................... 47
Reasons for improvement of effectiveness in achieving mission ........................................... 48
Reasons for deterioration of effectiveness in achieving mission ............................................ 49
Understanding the Arts Councils goals and priorities............................................................ 51
Impact at geographical levels .................................................................................................. 52
Comparison of those who currently benefit and those who should benefit .......................... 55Impact against key activities and goals .................................................................................... 57
Impact against key goals, year on year comparison 2011 and 2012 ....................................... 59
Working relationshipstype of relationship .......................................................................... 60
Working relationshipsquality of relationship ...................................................................... 61
Changes in working relationships in the last year ................................................................... 64
Reasons for improvement of working relationship ................................................................. 65
Reasons for deterioration of working relationship ................................................................. 66
Openness, 1.............................................................................................................................. 67
Openness, 2.............................................................................................................................. 68
Clarity, coherence and consistency ......................................................................................... 71Respect and confidence ........................................................................................................... 74
Partnership working ................................................................................................................. 78
Investment decisions ............................................................................................................... 81
Funding and monitoring processes .......................................................................................... 84
Feeling informed (1) ................................................................................................................. 86
Feeling informed (2) ................................................................................................................. 87
Communication channels ........................................................................................................ 88
Length of contact with the Arts Council .................................................................................. 89
Priorities for the next yearkeep doing ................................................................................. 90
Priorities for the next yearneed to do or change ................................................................ 92
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Executive Summary
Arts Council England is a public body, responsible for significant public investment in the
arts sector. As such, it has a wide range of stakeholders who have an interest in the choicesit makes and in the results and impacts of those choices. It functions within a complex
ecology, engaging with government, a range of public infrastructures, a diverse
organisational sector and with individuals pursuing artistic practices. It is also funded by the
tax-payer. Understanding how the Arts Council serves its stakeholders is key to
understanding its relevance as a public body.
Arts Council England commissioned DHA and ICM Research to explore the relationships
between the Arts Council and its stakeholders, building on previous phases of stakeholder
research from 2009 and 2011. The fieldwork included a survey of the general public, an
online survey of the arts sector and partners and a series of semi-structured interviews withopinion-formers. The fieldwork took place between September 2012 and January 2013.
Overall perceptions of the Arts CouncilThe Arts Council is seen as having a crucial role on behalf of the arts and cultural
sector, in developing the sector and in communicating on its behalf to a range of key
stakeholders.
The Arts Council is seen as having improved its ability to make investment choices,
and to explain those choices. Stakeholders understand that there are potentially
difficult choices to be made, and feel that the Arts Council is, on the whole, trying to
get things right.
There is significant concern for the future capacity of the Arts Council, and the
significant potential for loss of on-the-ground relationships and of strategic
partnerships.
Role and ImpactThe Arts Council is perceived as having a complex and broad role, which has changed
significantly with new responsibilities for libraries and museums, responsibilities for
music education hubs, and a range of new emerging strategic partnerships and
funding streams. Opinion-formers are clear that the Arts Council has a unique and
important function, particularly in relation to both central and local government, and
that the arms-length principle is crucial to this. There is uncertainty about whether
the new responsibilities help to consolidate this function, or may serve to diffuse its
focus.
There was particular emphasis this year on a range of strategic areas in which the
Arts Council can play a crucial role. These include its overview of the developmental
needs of the arts and cultural sector, and its role in championing the value of arts
and culture to government, as well as in building alliances and partnerships with the
public infrastructure.
The Arts Councils mission and strategic framework, including the new publication
for museums and libraries, are widely known. Broadly speaking, the mission and
framework are felt to bring focus to the Arts Councils communications and
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relationship with the sector. There is, however, uncertainty about the plans for
achieving the Arts Councils aims, and about the relationship between government
policy and recent and forthcoming changes, and the mission.
The Arts Council is felt to have a positive impact on arts and culture across the
regions. Where relationships are good, the Arts Council is characterised as a strategic
partner, and its continued presence across the different regions is felt to be crucial.
Some opinion-formers still identify a tension between a focus on London and the
other regions, whilst others identify a tension between larger and more established
organisations, and smaller, newer organisations.
Working RelationshipsWorking relationships are varied and complex across the range of different
stakeholders. Whilst a significant group of stakeholders have a main, single point of
contact, more have a range of different relationships, including engagement with
both a regional and head office.
Working relationships are rated in a similar way to previous years. The quality of
relationships is closely linked to experiences and engagement with individual staff,
and the way in which those staff operate and are viewed. This year fewer
respondents feel that their relationship with the Arts Council has got worse, and
more feel that it has stayed the same.
On the whole, working relationships are described by opinion-formers as friendly,
constructive, committed and honest. Frankness and clarity are particularly prized by
respondents, as is the enthusiasm and expertise of individual officers.
There are also significant concerns about the capacity of the Arts Council to maintain
these relationships and continue to build new partnerships, particularly with key
sectors such as local government.
There are also significant concerns about the Arts Councils future presence in
different areas and the degree to which individual officers and offices will be able to
maintain regular on-the-ground contact with organisations and individuals, and the
potential lack of local knowledge which may follow. These concerns are directly
related to forthcoming change in structure at the Arts Council, which comes into
place in July 2013.
Values and behaviours
The Arts Council is felt by stakeholders to be open and honest, though for some thisis either an area for improvement or something which is necessarily limited by its
role.
The Arts Council is seen as inviting feedback and opinion-formers feel they can be
honest with it. However, some opinion-formers feel that the Arts Council does not
necessarily make use of that feedback. In addition, several opinion-formers feel that
then Arts Council is limited in the way in which it learns from experience and that
more could be done in a range of areas to build this learning. For some, this
opportunity is being limited by the amount of new requirements and the pace of
change taking place as a result of changes in public investment.
The improvement seen in last years findings in the Arts Councils confidence inmaking and defending decisions has been maintained. Opinion-formers cited
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examples of the national portfolio organisation funding process, and also examples
of sophisticated engagement with partnerships.
There is, overall, confidence in the current leadership at the Arts Council; this does
not always necessarily mean head office, but in some cases regional leadership.
There is limited understanding and some uncertainty about the role of National
Council itself, and Regional Councils, though several opinion-formers reference both
the current and the forthcoming chair in their discussions of leadership.
The way in which the Arts Council works is important for many in the arts and
cultural sector and partners. Many feel that there will be a growing emphasis on the
need to work in partnership with key areas, such as local government. The Arts
Council role beyond funding is crucial here, particularly in its ability to build
sustained partnerships and to facilitate partnership across different sectoral areas.
Opinion-formers had praise for some of the recent examples of partnership by the
Arts Council, but some raise significant concerns about the coherence and direction
of strategic funds.
There is some sense that the Arts Council finds it difficult to evidence and explain the
value of some of the choices it makes. Respondents are unsure whether the Arts
Council makes good use of the data it collects, and opinion-formers raise issues
concerning the recent process of developing key performance indicators as an
indication that the potential burden of monitoring data is becoming more
substantial.
CommunicationOverall, stakeholders feel sufficiently well informed about the Arts Council work. In-
person relationships are still considered to be the most important and useful by themajority of respondents, and opinion-formers cite the qualities of individual
members of staff as sources of information in their day-to-day relationships.
Future prioritiesThe arts and cultural sector and partners and opinion-formers suggest a wide range
of future priorities for the Arts Council. The overwhelming issues identified are the
need for continued investment and questions about the future capacity of the Arts
Council to continue to support organisations, individuals and partnerships in the
future.
General publicSupport for public funding of arts and culture is stronger than in 2011, returning it to
a level similar to that of 2009. This may reflect a correction to the downturn in
2011, when the question was asked in a period in which significant discussions about
all areas of public investment were taking place.1
1
It is important to note that in this year the phrasing of questions in the public survey were altered to reflectthe Arts Councils new responsibilities. Thus, those questions which in 2009 and 2011previously asked about
views relating to the arts, in 2012 asked about views relating to arts and culture.
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Support for lottery funding of arts and culture is stronger than support for public
funding through taxes.2
There is a small rise in the proportion of people who feel that they, their friends and
family benefit from public funding of arts and culture. As with support for public
funding of arts and culture, this returns the proportion of people who agree that
they see benefit to levels similar to those from 2009.
Members of the public feel that public funding of the arts should primarily be used
to improve access to the arts. Interesting in this year, the Arts Councils role in
developing new artistic talent is also highlighted by respondents as a first priority,
slightly more than in the previous year.
Issues to exploreThere remains uncertainty for some about the way in which the mission and
strategic framework will be made tangible through plans and activities, about the
cohesion of new areas of responsibility and about the place of strategic funds and
partnerships in the context of the mission and the Arts Councils overall direction.
There are concerns about the new structure, and its potential impact on the quality
of working relationships, on local knowledge and on the ability of the Arts Council to
provide the necessary expertise and facilitation in complex areas, such as engaging
with local government.
Partnership working is considered key to the Arts Councils ability to develop the
sector in the future, but there are concerns about the organisations capacity to
support further work in this area.
The Arts Councils ability to learn, and to use thedata and evidence it collects to
develop future practice, is considered important. There have been some challenges
relating to recently developed processes for monitoring, and again there are
concerns about the Arts Councils capacity to engage dynamically in this area in the
future.
There remain diverse views concerning the Arts Councils role in relation to the
public, and particularly concerning the question of how the value of the Arts Council
(both through its investment and through its strategic role) is communicated to the
public. This is connected to the way in which stakeholders feel that the wider case
for public investment in arts and culture should be made, which is felt to be a crucial
challenge for the sector.
2
Respondents were asked to reflect on the principle of different kinds of funding sources, but were not giveninformation about the criteria attached to these different types of funding, or the different uses to which they
are put.
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Introduction
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1 Introduction1.1 ObjectivesDHA and ICM Research were commissioned to follow-up on a first phase of stakeholderresearch undertaken in 2009 by Ipsos Mori (there was no fieldwork in 2010). In the summer
of 2011 a second phase of fieldwork was undertaken, and in Autumn 2012 a third. For this
third phase the questionnaires, methodology and stakeholder sample have been updated
where appropriate.3
The research aims were to:
ensure that the Arts Council is in touch with the view of its external stakeholders and
the public
explore what characteristics and behaviours enable successful relationships between
the Arts Council and its stakeholders
measure overall knowledge of the Arts Council, and understanding of its role and
goals
measure recognition of the Arts Councils missionand understand its relevance
identify areas where the Arts Council is performing well and where there are areas
for improvement
explore levels of trust and confidence in the Arts Council, and perceptions of
accountability
assess stakeholdersunderstanding and views of decision-making, funding and other
processes
assess stakeholdersviews of the impact and effectiveness of the Arts Council, both
in relation to its goals and in its day-to-day activities
produce transparent findings using a replicable methodology, enabling trends to be
recognised and understood over a number of years
3These are included in Appendices.
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1.2 ContextThe period for this years fieldwork was the autumn of 2012. We noted in the 2011 report
the range of high profile activities and processes, relating to public investment, which had
provided a particular context to the 2011 fieldwork. As significant developments continued
to take place in the year between the 2011 and 2012 fieldwork, it is valuable to
acknowledge these developments in order to understand the background to this years
findings.
The National Portfolio funding agreements commenced in April 2012, following an
application process in late 2010/early 2011. Some arts organisations moved from
being a Regularly Funded Organisation to being a National Portfolio Organisation.
Others were new additions to Arts Council revenue funding, whilst others lost their
revenue funding. The ten Bridge organisations, focusing on children and young
people, also commenced their new remit in April 2012.
In September 2011 the Arts Council published Culture, knowledge and
understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone, which sought to integrate
the Arts Councils new responsibilities for museums and libraries into the ten-year
strategic framework already established inAchieving great art for everyone.The
museums and libraries formally transferred to Arts Council England on 1st
October
2011. New funding programmes administered by Arts Council England included the
Renaissance in the Regions major grants programme for museums and the Libraries
Development Initiative.
The Arts Council took on responsibility as the fund holder for the music educationhubs, part of the Department of Educations response to Darren Henleys Review of
Music in Englandand the subsequent national plan for music education, The
Importance of Music. The application process for hubs was undertaken in late
2011/early 2012, and hubs commenced their activities as part of the new network
from August 2012.
In October 2012 the Arts Council announced the details of its new structure,
designed in response to the details of the 2011-15 settlement from government. The
new structure would come into place in July 2013.
Following the Autumn Statement 2012 (December), the Arts Council received
notification of a revised funding settlement for the period 2013-15, detailing a
budget cut of 1% for 2013-14 and 2% for 2014-15.
These last two items occurred within and after the period of the fieldwork. The fact of the
Arts Council moving to a new structure was known in advance of the October details being
published. A range of activities highlighting the value of investment in arts and cultural
funding also took place across the arts and cultural sector in advance of the Autumn
statement. Both items are, therefore, relevant elements of the context within which this
years fieldwork took place.
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1.3 FieldworkDHA and ICM Research worked with staff from the Arts Council to review the questions used
in 2011, and to:
identify where findings had been useful, or less useful
refine questions, where possible
align the questions with the Arts Councils, especially with regards to museums and
libraries, and with providers working across the new music education hubs and other
areas of delivery for children and young people such as the bridge organisations
consider the best period and approach for the fieldwork to ensure full and
meaningful responses, particularly in the light of complex public investment
timescales
There were three separate elements to the fieldwork: an online survey with members of the
general public; an online survey with stakeholders from amongst the arts and cultural sector
and partners; and a series of semi-structured interviews with opinion-formers. As with the
previous wave of research, the first and second of these elements allow us to track changes
in some areas from the data collected in 2009, and in most areas against the second phase
of data collected in 2011, whilst the interviews supply more detailed and rich information
about peoples experiences of the Arts Council amongst individuals within and connected to
the sector.
An online survey of the general publicas part of the ICM Research Online Omnibustook
place. 1,750 adults aged 18+ from England were questioned, and data was weighted to
match the profile of the population of England. The survey took place in September 2012.
DHA and ICM Research carried out an online survey with the arts and cultural sector and
partners. The potential sample included arts organisations and artists who were or had been
recently funded by the Arts Council, as well as museums, libraries and delivery organisations
for the music education hubs and other work with children and young people. Local
authorities and a range of other contacts were also included, from higher educational
institutions, economic development agencies and the creative and tourism industries. Thesample was compiled by the Arts Council, with substantial input from regional offices.
In total there were 762 responses, from a possible total of 2,550 invitations, a response rate
of 30%. An initial invitation was sent from the Arts Council, signed by Alan Davey, Chief
Executive. Two reminder emails were sent to those who had not completed the survey. The
survey took place between 20th September and 24th
October.
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When considering the quantitative data from the arts and cultural sector and partners
survey in this report, and particularly when considering differences in results between
different groups or types of respondents, it is important to remember that:
sample sizes for different types or groups of respondents are often quite small,
affecting the statistical validity of comparisons. All comparisons should, therefore, be
treated carefully.
respondents were self-selecting, deciding for themselves whether to take part in the
survey or not. There will, therefore, be differences in results caused by this self-
selection bias which are likely to affect potential comparisons between different
subsets within the overall sample.
the context within which respondents engage with the Arts Council varies. For
example, when considering potential differences in results between regions, it is
important to reflect upon the infrastructural differences between those regions,
within which the relationship between the individual/organisation and the Arts
Council takes place. Regions have different local governmental structures, different
economic bases, urban/rural makeup, and different artistic and cultural assets.
These issues affect the different kinds of circumstances in which arts and cultural
support is delivered by the Arts Council, and should be borne in mind when
considering any comparison.
comparisons offered within this report focus predominantly on different types of
stakeholders and on regional differences. These are most valuable in setting the
context for the variable circumstances in which the arts and cultural sector andpartners, and the Arts Council itself, operate.
DHA conducted 25 semi-structured interviews by telephone with a range of opinion-
formers. Arts Council staff supplied a list of 149 individuals perceived to have a major
influence on or particular experience of the arts and cultural sector or the policy
environment in which the Arts Council operates. This list was made up of politicians,
journalists, chairs and chief executives of major arts and cultural organisations and other
relevant national and regional agencies. DHA selected and recruited a sample of 25 opinion
formers from this list to take part in the research, ensuring a regional, art-form and
organisational spread, where suitable. The interviews took place between 20th September2012 and 21st January 2013.
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1.4 Defining stakeholdersStakeholder groups
Within this report a number of terms are used to refer to different stakeholder groups for
the Arts Council.
These groups are as follows:
Stakeholders: everyone who has an interest in or is affected by the Arts Councils work. This
is used on occasion as a collective term for respondents in this research, including members
of the public.
Opinion-formers: senior individuals within the arts and cultural sector or related areas who
are considered to be influential, or to represent a particular experience of the sector. This
group were interviewed.
The general public: members of the public who took part in the Omnibus survey
The arts and cultural sector and partners: individuals and organisations with whom the Arts
Council has a regular working relationship. This group took part in the online survey of arts
and cultural sector and partners.
Within this arts and cultural sector and partners group, there are a number of sub-groups:
Arts organisations- NPOs: members of the National Portfolio
- Not NPOs: organisations which are not part of the National Portfolio
Arts individuals, predominantly artists
Music Education Hubs and other - predominantly organisations involved in delivering
the music education hubs
Museums
Libraries
Local authorities
Organisations engaged in economic development activities, including the creative
industries and tourism development, and Local Enterprise Partnerships.
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Sample
The following table shows a breakdown, by type of respondent and Arts Council region, of
the sample for the quantitative survey of the arts and cultural sector and partners.
The arts and cultural sector and partners
Type of respondent
2012
%
2011
% Region
2012
%
2011
%
Arts individuals 12 14 East 7 6
Arts organisations 66 76 East Midlands 7 8
Local authorities 7 8 London 26 26
Music education hubs and
other organisations 4 -
North East 6 8
Museums 5 - North West 9 9
Libraries 1 - South East 8 9
Economic Development 1 - South West 12 13
Other 4 2 West Midlands 9 9
Yorkshire 13 12
Not region specific 3 0.4
The inclusion, in 2012, of a significant number of museums, libraries and music educationhubs and other organisations has contributed to a small difference from the 2011 sample in
the overall proportion of respondents in the sample who are arts individuals or from arts
organisations. The regional spreads remain similar between the two years.
In total, 25 interviews were undertaken with key opinion formers. The following table shows
the numbers of interviews by type of respondent and region, and the comparison with the
2011 sample. It is worth noting that some respondents were categorised differently in the
two samples, and so the type of respondent is not strictly comparable between the two
years.
In addition, in the 2012 sample we specifically sought to include a wider range of
respondents from different kinds of arts organisations, including different sizes of
organisation and organisations with different levels of funding relationship. This was done
to ensure that the interviews cover a sample which could be said to be more closely
representative of those respondents to the online survey, thus supporting the analysis of
interview data to elucidate findings from the online survey.
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Opinion formers
Type of respondent
2012
No.
2011
No. Region
2012
No.
2011
No.
Arts and cultural sector 13 12 East 1 2
Representative andsignificant organisations/
individuals 4 - East Midlands 1 2
Arts sector associations - 2 London 4 1
Central government 2 3 Not region specific 9 13
Creative industries 1 2 North East 3 1
Local government 4 5 North West 2 1
Press 1 1 South East 1 1
South West 1 1
West Midlands 2 2Yorkshire 1 1
1.5 AcknowledgementsDHA and ICM Research would like to thank Alexandra Albert, Richard Russell, Rachel
Smithies, Samantha Lavender and James Doeser at the Arts Council for their input and
engagement with this research. We are also grateful to the members of the public, arts
sector and partners and opinion-formers who took part in surveys and interviews.
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The General Public
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2 General public attitudesThe survey of the general public, undertaken via an online omnibus survey, looks at a range
of broad attitudes to and views of arts and culture. It explores responses to public funding
of arts and culture, responses to lottery funding of arts and culture, knowledge of the Arts
Council and views on what public funding of arts and culture should achieve.
The findings from this research provide useful context to the detail of the survey of the arts
and cultural sector and partners, and the views of opinion-formers, with whom the Arts
Council has significantly more contact and direct engagement. It also provides a useful
baseline against which to understand discussions within the arts and cultural sector about
the value of its activity, and about the mission and goals of the Arts Council.4
2.1 Attitudes towards arts and cultureRespondents to the public survey were asked to indicate whether they had attended or
participated in the arts in the last year, attended a museum or gallery, or used a publiclibrary. This question was primarily asked not to supply data about arts and cultural
engagement per se, but to enable us to understand the potential relationship between arts
and cultural engagement and responses to other questions in the survey. Social grade is the
factor which correlates most strongly with arts attendance and participation, and visiting
museums and galleries. This is not the case with use of public libraries. Women (48%), also
show higher levels of arts and cultural engagement across all activities than men. There is
some small regional variation, with London and the East Midlands generally showing a
higher level of engagement than other areas.
The survey asked members of the general public how they feel about arts and culture.5It is
important to note that in 2012 this question, and a number of other questions, were asked
in a different way. In previous years (2009 and 2011) the questions had focused upon
attitudes to the arts. In this years surveythe wording in these questions has been changed
to test attitudes to arts and culture, in line with the Arts Councils broader portfolio of
responsibilities. Whilst comparisons with previous years data are shown here, this change
in wording must be borne in mind when drawing any conclusion about these comparisons.
Just over a quarter (27%) say that they like arts and culture but prefer to spend my leisure
time in other ways(2011: 36%; 2009: 30%). Just under a fifth (18%) say they are not
interested in arts and culture (2011: 18%; 2009: 22%) and a small proportion (7%) say that
the arts are not for people like me(2011: 7%; 2009: 5%). More than a quarter (27%) say
that they would like to have more to do with the arts if they could (2011: 23%; 2009: 19%); a
further 24% say that the arts are an important part of their lives (2011: 16%; 2009: 21%). A
fifth (20%) say that there are lots of opportunities for them to get involved in the arts, if
they chose to do so (2011: 17%). It seems likely that some of these changes may reflect, at
least to some extent, the change in the wording for these questions, and suggest that the
4A more detailed picture of public engagement and enjoyment of the arts, and of the relationship between demographic
and other factors and public engagement, is available through DCMS Taking Part data, the Active People Survey and
through the Arts Councils own segmentation work,Arts audiences: insight.5
In 2011 and 2012 respondents were encouraged to select more than one statement, if they wishedhence, comparisonswith 2009 findings should be treated with care.
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addition of culture is perhaps understood as indicating a broader range of activity. In
considering a year-on-year comparison, interest in engaging with arts and culture appears to
have increased, while active disinterest has stayed the same.
1 General public view of the arts
Which of the following statements do you agree with?
There is a clear correlation between social grade and identifying arts and culture as an
important part of a respondents life, as with engagement in arts and culture activity.
Generally speaking, those aged 18-34 and those aged 55+ are most likely to say that the arts
are an important part of their lives. 34% of those aged 18-24 would like to have more to do
with arts and culture if they could, compared to 19% of over 65s. BME adults (35%) are
more likely to say that they would like to have more to do with the arts if they could thanwhite adults (26%). Respondents from London and the West Midlands are most likely to say
that they believe that there are lots of opportunities to get involved in arts and culture (25%
and 27% respectively).
56% of respondents selected one statement only; 30% of respondents selected more than
one statement. Of the total response, 3% of people say that they are not interested, and
arts and culture are not for them. 5% say that they prefer to spend leisure time in other
ways, but that they would like to have more to do with arts and culture. 15% say that arts
and culture are important to them, and that they would like to do more of it.
7%
18%
17%
16%
36%
23%
7%
18%
20%
24%
27%
27%
Arts and culture are not for people
like me
I'm not interested in arts and culture
There are lots of opportunities to get
involved with arts and culture if I want
Arts and culture are an important part
of my life
I like arts and culture but prefer to
spend my leisure time in other ways
I'd like to have more to do with arts
and culture if I could
2012
2011*
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750, 7-9 September 2012; All England adults 18+ 1,732, 15-16 June 2011 Source: dha & ICM
* Please note that there was a change in question wording between 2011 and 2012. In 2012 the words and culture were added to the
statements.
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Attitudes towards public funding of arts and culture
49% of the general public support public funding of the arts (2011: 44%; 2009: 52%),
showing a slight rise on the previous year. 15% strongly support it (2011: 12%; 2009: 16%).
14% of the general public oppose public funding of the arts (2011: 19%; 2009: 14%), and 5%
strongly oppose it (2011: 7%; 2009: 5%). A third of respondents neither support nor oppose
the principle, a similar finding to both 2011 and 2009.
2 General public views on public funding of arts and culture, 1
As you may know, some arts and culture in England are funded by the taxes we all pay. To
what extent do you support or oppose this public funding of arts and culture?
There is a slight statistical increase in support for public funding of arts and culture. Wenoted in 2011 the potential effects of the context of global economic conditions and
domestic fiscal circumstances against which discussions concerning public funding were
taking place. The change in this year may indicate a correction of sorts, bringing the
response closer to that seen in 2009. As with the previous question, it is worth noting the
change of wording from the arts to arts and culture when reflecting upon these year-on-
year comparisons. The following figure shows the year-on-year comparison for total support
and total opposition to public funding of the arts.
49%
15%
34% 33%
9%5%
14%
4%
44%
12%
32% 33%
12%
7%
19%
4%
Total
support
Strongly
support
Tend to
support
Neither
support nor
oppose
Tend to
oppose
Strongly
oppose
Total
oppose
Don't
know/no
opinion
2012 2011*
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750, 7-9 September 2012; All England adults 18+ 1,732, 15-16 June 2011 Source: dha & ICM
* Please note that there was a change in question wording between 2011 and 2012. In 2012 the words and culture were added to the
statements.
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3 General public views on public funding of arts and culture, 2
Attitudes towards lottery funding of the arts
In this year a new question was added, to ask the general public about their views on lottery
funding of arts and culture. In comparison with views about public funding through taxes,
there is significantly higher support (62%) for lottery funding, with more than a quarter(27%) of respondents indicating that they strongly support lottery funding. There is also less
opposition to lottery funding of arts and culture, than to public funding through taxes, as
well as fewer neutral responses.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2009 2010 2011 2012
Total Support
Total Oppose
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750, 7-9 September 2012; All England adults 18+ 1,732, 15-16 June 2011 Source: dha & ICM
2009 Base: 1,001 adults aged 15+ in England Source: Ipsos MORI
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4 General public views on lottery funding of arts and culture, comparison with public
views on public funding of the arts
Some arts and culture in England are funded through the National Lottery. To what extent
do you support or oppose this use of National Lottery funds?
Social grade remains significant in support of both public funding through taxes and lottery
funding. 61% of those of social grade ABC1 support public funding through taxes, and 69%
support lottery funding. Amongst those of social grade C2DE, 39% support public funding
through taxes, rising to 56% in support of lottery funding.
49%
15%
34% 33%
9%5%
14%
62%
27%
35%
26%
5%3%
8%
Total
Support
Strongly
support
Tend to
support
Neither
support nor
oppose
Tend to
oppose
Strongly
oppose
Total
Oppose
Public funding of arts and culture National Lottery funding of arts and culture
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750 Source: dha & ICM
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Who does public funding of the arts benefit?
Respondents were asked to consider who they felt public funding benefited. This year a
single question was included, to understand the views of the general public on the impact of
public funding of the arts on themselves and their friends and family.6Overall, 43% of the
general public agree that they themselves or their friends and family do benefit from public
funding of arts and culture (2011: 36%); 23% of respondents disagree (2011: 33%) , resulting
in a net agreement of +19%7, and 30% neither agree nor disagree. Net agreement in 2009
was +17%, soas with support for the principle of public fundingthere may be some
degree of correction taking place here. Again, the change in wording to refer to arts and
culture must also be borne in mind.
5 Does public funding benefit you or your friends and family?, 1
To what extent do you agree or disagree that public funding of the arts and culture benefits
you or your family and friends?
As with engagement in arts and cultural activities, and support for public funding, there is a
correlation between social grade and agreement that public funding of arts and culture benefits a
respondent or their family and friends. Interestingly, 25-34 year olds are more likely than any other
6In the previous year two questions had been asked of the general public, exploring benefits to you or your friends and
family and benefits to everyone in England (the latter of which was included in 2009). The responses to both questions
were very similar, and thus one question only has been included in this years survey. 7Net agreement is calculated as the percentage of respondents who agreed minus the percentage of respondents who did
not agree. This may result in a plus figurewhere the percentage of those agreeing is higher than the percentage of those
disagreeingor a minus figure, where the reverse is the case.
12%
31%
30%
14%
9% 4%Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don't know
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750 Source: dha & ICM
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age-group to strongly agree that this is the case (17%). Londoners are also more likely to say
that public funding benefits them, their friends and family and everyone. In comparison,
respondents from the South West are the least likely to agree that this is the case.
A strict year-on-year comparison of responses to this question is not available, because of
changes to the wording of the question.8However, the minimal differences shown in
responses between different wordings suggest that the results can be compared
meaningfully. The figure below shows this year on year comparison, which exhibits a similar,
small change to that shown in the findings on support for public funding of arts and culture.
As noted previously, the change from arts to arts and culture may be partially responsible
for this alteration. It is also possible that some degree of reversion, following an acute
period of discussion about public investment across all areas, may be in evidence.
6 Does public funding benefit everyone/you, your friends and family?, 2
8In 2009, the question asked respondents about the benefit to everyone in England; in 2011, the question was asked
twice, one concerning the benefit to everyone in England, and one concerning the benefit to you, your friends and family.There were minimal differences between the results to the two questions in 2011, and so in 2012 the question concerns
benefit to you, your friends and family.
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
2009 2010 2011 2012
Total Agree
Total Disagree
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750, 7-9 September 2012; All England adults 18+ 1,732, 15-16 June 2011 Source: dha & ICM
2009 Base: 1,001 adults aged 15+ in England Source: Ipsos MORI
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What public funding should achieve
Using a range of statements coherent with the Arts Councils goals and priorities,
respondents were asked what public funding of the arts should achieve, by ranking the
statements according to importance. In this year two additional statements were added to
reflect the Arts Councils new responsibilities for museums and libraries. The three aims
selected as most important are:
Giving every child the opportunity to access art and culture and artistic and cultural
experiences (most important: 13%)
Developing new artistic talent (most important: 10%)
Encouraging more ordinary people to engage with arts and culture (most important
= 10%)
The most important aims chosen by the public are largely concerned with access to the arts,
though the aim developing new artistic talent shows a small increase this year in being
selected as most important.
The least popular aims are:
Supporting artists and arts and cultural organisations to take risks and try new things
out (most important = 0%)
Enabling more people to have a say in the kinds of arts and culture and artistic and
cultural experiences available in their communities (most important = 1%)
Both responses to the most important and least popular aims are similar to those in 2011,
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The following chart shows the mean scores for the different aims; mean scores are
calculated on the basis of the number of respondents selecting a statement as the most
important, second most important, third most important, and so forth. These numbers
providing a weighting score against each level of importance for a statement, which is then
converted to a mean. Those statements with a higher mean score gained more selections at
the higher levels of importance.
7 What should public funding of the arts achieve?
What do you think public funding of the arts should achieve?
4.49
5.41
5.58
6.26
6.31
6.4
7.22
7.25
7.73
7.96
8.21
8.56
Supporting artists and arts and cultural organisations
to take risks and try new and innovative things out
Enabling more people to have a say in the kinds of
arts and culture and artistic and cultural experiences
available in their communities
Enabling a wider range of people to develop careers
in arts and culture
Supporting a diverse range of arts and culture, and
artistic and cultural experiences
Preserving and caring for our cultural collections
Supporting excellent and high quality arts and
culture, and artistic and cultural experiences
Supporting arts and cultural organisations such astheatres, orchestras, galleries, museums, libraries and
dance companies to run themselves more successfully
Developing new artistic talent
Ensuring access to knowledge and learning
experiences for all
Enabling access to arts and culture for people who
would not normally have that opportunity
Encouraging more ordinary people to engage with
arts and culture
Giving every child the opportunity to access arts and
culture and artistic and cultural experiences
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750 Source: dha & ICM
Mean importance
score out of 10
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Knowledge of the Arts Council
Knowledge of the Arts Council remains relatively low amongst the general public, with only
31% of respondents indicating that they know a little bit or a fair amount about the Arts
Council (2011: 31%; 2009: 32%). Half the general public say that they have heard of the Arts
Council, but know nothing about it (2011: 51%; 2009: 39%). One in seven (15%) say that
they have never heard of it (2011: 15%; 2009: 28%).
Views of the Arts Council
There is a small increase in the proportion of the general public who agree that the Arts
Council is important for enabling access to arts and culture and that it has a positive impact
upon arts and culture (2011: both 21%). 15% agree that the Arts Council is a respected
organisation (a drop on the previous year), and only 7% of respondents feel that the Arts
Council communicates the value of arts and culture well. There is also a small reduction inthe proportion of the general public who believe that the Arts Council only benefits a small
number of people.
The following table shows the percentage of respondents agreeing with each statement:
8 General Public views on the Arts Council
7%
11%
20%
23%
21%
21%
7%
9%
15%
19%
24%
24%
The Arts Council is good at communicating the
value of arts [and culture]*
The Arts Council spends public money poorly
and inefficiently
The Arts Council is a respected organisation
The Arts Council only benefits a small number
of people
The Arts Council has a positive impact on
artists and arts [and cultural] organisations*
The Arts Council is important for enabling
everyone to access arts [and culture]*
2012
2011
Weighted Base: All England adults 18+ 1,750, 7-9 September 2012; All England adults 18+ 1,732, 15-16 June 2011 Source: dha & ICM
* Please note that there was a change in question wording between 2011 and 2012. In 2012 the words and culture were added to the
statements.
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18-34 year olds are less likely (10%) than those aged 55-64 (19%) and 65+ (22%) to feel that
the Arts Council is a respected organisation. A similar pattern is the case across respondents
who agree that the Arts Council is important for enabling access.
25% of respondents agree with more than one statement. 4% of all respondents agree that
the Arts Council only benefits a small number of people, and that it spends money poorly
and inefficiently. 14% of all respondents agree that the Arts Council enables access and
positive impacts upon provision.
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The Arts and Cultural Sector
and Partners
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3 General perceptions of the Arts Council3.1 KnowledgeThere is a high level of knowledge of the Arts Council amongst the arts and cultural sector
and partners and the opinion-formers who were interviewed for this research, though it is
worth noting that the introduction of respondents from newer areas of the Arts Councilsportfolioparticularly museums and music education hubs and other organisations
means that there is a slight reduction in the overall proportion of respondents who feel that
they know the Arts Council well.
Knowledge of the Arts Council is related to the length of contact respondents have had with
the Arts Council, how well informed they feel about its work and how well they feel they
understand the Arts Councils goals(all of which are asked about elsewhere in the survey).
In total, 87% of respondents say they know the Arts Council at least fairly well (2009: 94%;
2011: 91%).
9 Knowledge among the arts and cultural sector and partners
How well, if at all, do you feel you know the Arts Council?
Length of relationship has a direct correlation with respondents knowledge of the Arts
Council. Only 2% of those respondents who have had contact or worked with the Arts
31% 32%
13%
38%
10%
25%
56%59%
67%
54%
48%
56%
11%9%
17%
7%
35%
13%
2% 3% 1%
8% 5%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Overall
2012
Overall
2011
Arts
individuals
Arts
organisations
Museums Local
authorities
Not at all
well
Not very
well
Fairly well
Very well
Base: All stakeholders (762), 2012; All stakeholders (785), 2011. Source: dha & ICM
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Council for less than a year report knowing the Arts Council very well.9For those with more
than four years contact with the Arts Council, 93% report knowing the Arts Council fairly or
very well. A good understanding of the Arts Councils goals also correlates with knowledge
of the organisation. Arts organisations are more familiar with the Arts Council than other
types of respondents.
Generally speaking, opinion-formers have substantial knowledge of the Arts Council.
Opinion-formers tended, on the whole, to fall into one of two groups. Many had a multi-
layered relationship, which might include a formal funder-fundee relationship with their
regional office, engagement through a relationship manager and with an art-form director
or a regional director, engagement in consultation processes or sub-regional and regional
partnerships, and contact through broader networking. On the whole, those with a multi-
layered relationship were predominantly those with a direct funding relationship with the
Arts Council. Othersas with the 2011 findingscited particular knowledge which came
through very specific relationships, or which was predominantly concerned with one or two
aspects of the Arts Councils activity.
Reflecting partly the inclusion of museums and libraries in this years sample, and the
inclusion of a wider range of arts organisations in terms of size and relationship, more
stakeholders indicated that they did have a relationship with a number of officers, but that
this did not extend to head office at the Arts Council.
most of the time we only really have contact with [name], our officer from the
regional office.
Whereas for other funded clients, there are relationships at all levels:
The chief exec has been to visit us, and I've had email correspondence with him, so
even at the most senior level. Their team in the [region].I really feel like they're
consistently present, coming to see events
Some opinion-formers specifically referred to the limits of their knowledge about National
or Regional Council:
I know the officers and officials of the Arts Council very well, I can't say that I know
the actual Council. I think that's a bit faceless, so we deal with the people whoimplement the decisions, but we tend not to meet the people who make the
decisions.
Several stakeholders referred to a sense of having previously known the Arts Council, but
feeling that current and potential future changes would affect this knowledge:
I used to know them very well*Im+ feeling a little bit anxious. It's the sheer volume
of change, combined with the regularity of new programmes, changing in functions,
the funding and development balance changing in their work, and the forthcoming
9This sub-group is a small sample size, at 54.
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large-scale administrative cuts. And how that will impact upon the relationship that
we have with individual officers, and what we're expected to do in return to satisfy
Arts Council's changing priorities.
I know bits of the Arts Council well, but one of the things that's always been tricky
with the Arts Council, and it's particularly accentuated with all the change that's about
to happen, it's the sense that I don't actually know where the organisation as a whole
is going...
3.2 Favourability73% of the arts and cultural sector and partners are favourable towards the Arts Council
(2011: 71%) with 15% regarding it very favourably(2011: 19%). 12% of respondents regard
the Arts Council either mainly or very unfavourably (2011: 13%); this increases significantly
for those arts organisations who are not NPOs. These results show no significant changefrom 2009 findings.
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10 Favourability among the arts and cultural sector and partners, 1
We are interested in your overall impressions, how favourably or unfavourably do you regard
the Arts Council?
How favourably respondents regard the Arts Council is linked to their knowledge of the Arts
Council and their understanding of its goals.
As already noted, there has been little change on the overall findings between the different
years (2009, 2011 and 2012) of fieldwork. The figure on the following page shows the trend
across the three years for all those who indicated that they regarded the Arts Council mainly
or very favourably, and all those who indicated that they regarded the Arts Council mainly
or very unfavourably.
What is perhaps worth noting is that the findings alter only very slightly, despite both
significant changes at the Arts Council and to some participantsfunding relationships, and
despite the influx of organisations like museums, libraries and music education hubs who
are relatively new in their relationship with the Arts Council.
19%15%
29%
17%25%
18%
54%56%
52%
56%48%
55%
15%15%
12%
14%20% 18%
10%10%
3%11%
3% 9%
2% 3% 2% 2% 5%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Overall
2012
Overall
2011
Arts
individuals
Arts
organisations
Museums Local authorities
Very unfavourably Mainly unfavourably Neither Mainly favourably Very favourably
Base: All stakeholders (762), 2012; All stakeholders (785), 2011. Source: dha & ICM
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11 Favourability among the arts and cultural sector and partners, 2
Most opinion-formers regard the Arts Council favourably. Some situate this in the context of
good communications, either through discussion or more corporately:
I think our relationship with the Arts Council is one of a critical friend. They seem
much less secretive, they are much less about the control of communication...more
'we want to try and communicate well', not 'we want to communicate on our own
terms'.
There is a sense of clarity about what their ambitions are.Once you understand
what their limitations are, it becomes easier.
Other opinion-formers particularly focus on the structural importance of the Arts Council:
Without them it would be a lot worse.
Someone's got to do that job.
*I+ regard them very favourably, because they are our partners and, you know, they
are the way into helping both them and DCMS get a bigger chunk of funding and a
stronger voice round the cabinet table....
A small number of opinion-formers regard the Arts Council less favourably. Some raise
specific issues concerning elements of the Arts Councils current activity:
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2009 2010 2011 2012
Total Favourable
Total
Unfavourable
Base: All stakeholders (762), 2012; All stakeholders (785), 2011. Source: dha & ICM
2009 Base: Arts sector and partners: all respondents (946) Source: Ipsos MORI
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Well, there's two answers to that really. One relates to day-to-day relationships in
which I would regard them favourably, and one is in the process of the [strategic fund]
application, in which I would have to say is quite unfavourable.
Whilst for others, the significant changes taking place are a problem:
There are issues about the way it sees itself, and it feels a bit under siege.they've
got to get sorted out, otherwise they'll begin to lose a bit of credibility, when it looks
as if theyre much more interested in getting their own raison d'etre
3.3 AdvocacyMore than half (55%) of the arts and cultural sector and partners say they would be
advocates of the Arts Council, a slight increase on 2011 (49%), with 22% saying they would
speak highly of the Arts Council without being asked and 33% if asked. By comparison, 16%would be critical (2011: 20%) and only 3% would be critical without being asked.
12 Advocacy, 1
Which of these phrases best describes the way you would speak of the Arts Council to other
people?
Respondents who feel more informed and familiar with the Arts Council and whounderstand the Arts Councilsgoals were more likely to be advocates for the Arts Council.
22%
33%
27%
13%
3%
I would speak highly of the Arts
Council without being asked
I would speak highly of the Arts
Council if I were asked
I would be neutral towards the Arts
Council
I would be critical of the Arts Councilif I were asked
I would be critical of the Arts Council
without being asked
Base: All stakeholders (762) Source: dha & ICM
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Arts individuals are more likely than other types of respondents to say that they would be
advocates without being asked. Groups which are new to this survey and to the Arts Council
museums and music education hubs and otherand local authorities are more likely than
arts individuals and arts and cultural organisations to say that they would be neutral.
There were also some differences in advocacy between respondents from different areas,
with net advocacy scores ranging from +60% to +22%, with a mean overall net advocacy of
+39% (2011: +30%).10
Net advocacy by Arts Council regions is given in the following table:
Net advocacy by Arts Council region
2012 2011 2012 2011
East +47% +51% South East +33% +10%
East Midlands +60% +54% South West +39% +32%
London +27% +26% WestMidlands
+47% +32%
North East +22% +10% Yorkshire +50% +47%
North West +37% +17%
The following figures looks at the year-on-year comparison of respondents who identified
that they would either be advocates (speak highly of the Arts Council) or critics (be critical of
the Arts Council). As with the trend for favourability towards the Arts Council, there is
relatively little movement in the findings between different years.
13 Advocacy, 2
10Net advocacy scores look at those respondents who indicate that they would speak positively of the Arts Council, and
subtracts those respondents who indicate that they would be critical. This leaves an overall net score for advocacy.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2009 2010 2011 2012
Total Advocates
Total Critics
Base: All stakeholders (762), 2012; All stakeholders (785), 2011. Source: dha & ICM
2009 Base: Arts sector and partners: all respondents (946) Source: Ipsos MORI
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The majority of opinion-formers would speak highly of the Arts Council. Positive views of the
2011 application process remain a significant driver:
I think the NPO process was a very radical thing really
As do positive responses to the ten-year strategic framework:
.they've been very clear about where they are going.
And more generally to the Arts Councils approach to its core activities:
The Arts Council does have an element of risk, they believe in the artist and theyre
curious about the project, and when you combine those two things together you have
a wonderful outcome.
Other opinion-formers raised issues concerning the current degree of change taking place,
and the ability of the Arts Council to manage that change:
They work incredibly hard to do the right thing, but unfortunately they've got their
hands tied behind their backs.
I do think they've bitten off a lot The danger is taking on too much work, and not
doing any of it properly.
Generally speaking, there was still a sense, however, of the structural importance of the Arts
Council:
Yes [I would speak highly], because I think they're a supportive organisation and I
actually think that if you're going to not speak well of them you have to have an idea
of what the alternative should be, and I think that there isn't really a good
alternative.
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3.4 ImageThe arts and cultural sector and partners were asked to select words from a list, developed
by Ipsos Mori in conjunction with Arts Council staff and subsequently added to in order to
reflect the Arts Councils corporate values, which fit their current impressions of the Arts
Council, and then to select again according to what they thought the Arts Council shouldbe
seeking to be.
Of the ten most selected words reflecting the current impressions of the Arts Council, eight
are positive, including helpful (43%), strategic (41%), supportive(39%), accountable
(30%), useful (27%), knowledgeable (25%), credible (21%) and collaborative (17%). 44%
of respondents chose bureaucratic and 18% distant.
The following chart plots the relationship between current ideas or impressions of the Arts
Council, and what respondents felt that the Arts Council should be seeking to be. Quadrant
lines have been inserted at the average (mean) level of response across all words, to eachquestion.
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14 Impressions of the Arts Council
For each of the following words and phrases please tick those which fit your ideas or impressions of the Arts Council?
For each of the following words and phrases please tick those which fit your ideas of what the Arts Council should be seeking to be? You may
pick a maximum of six
Accountable
Authoritative
Bold
Bureaucratic
Creative
Closed
Confident
Collaborative
Credible
Decisive
Democratic
Distant
Diverse
Dynamic
Elitist
Expert
Flexible
Helpful
Honest
Impermeable
Innovative
Knowledgeable
Nurturing
Old fashioned
Open
Passionate
Responsive
Strategic
Supportive
Trustworthy
Useful
Weak
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
TheArtsCouncilshouldbeseekingtobe%
Current image of the Arts Council %
Base: All stakeholders (762) Source: dha & ICM
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Those words ringed in the top right-hand quadrant are those where there is a close
correlation between the current image and what respondents feel the Arts Council should
be seeking to be. Strategic and supportive arethe first and third most chosen words for
what the Arts Council should be seeking to be, and are in the top four words relating to
current impressions. In this year strategic has replaced collaborative as the most selected
word for what the Arts Council should be seeking to be. Both accountable and
knowledgeable areselected in the top eight words for both current impressions, and what
the Arts Council should be seeking to be.
Between 2011 and 2012 there have been small statistically significant rises in the proportion
of respondents selecting strategic and bold as things which the Arts Council should be
seeking to be.
Creative and collaborative are both in the top four words which respondents feel the Arts
Council should be seeking to be, and both score 20 or more percentage points higher on this
axis than on respondents view of the current image of the Arts Council. Other facets whichindicate some discrepancy between what the Arts Council is, and what it should be seeking
to be, include innovative, bold, responsive and nurturing.
The bottom right-hand quadrant shows characteristics which the arts and cultural sector
and partners think apply to the Arts Council, but do not think it should seek to be.
Bureaucratic, with 44% of respondents identifying it as part of their current impressions,
remains the most significant of these characteristics (2011: 48%).
Specifically in terms of the Arts Councils five corporate values, responses are as follows:
The Arts Councils corporate values: stakeholder views of what the Arts
Council is, and what it should be
Values Current impressions Should be
2012 2011 2012 2011
Passionate 8% 7% 15% 17%
Knowledgeable 25% 24% 27% 28%
Accountable 30% 25% 35% 34%
Collaborative 17% 15% 41% 41%
Nurturing 9% 6% 24% 22%
Bold 3% 2% 26% 21%
The following chart offers a comparison of the current impressions of the Arts Councils
corporate values, with a comparison with 2011.
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15 Impressions of the Arts Council, Year on Year Comparison of Corporate Values
For each of the following words and phrases please tick those which fit your ideas or
impressions of the Arts Council? You may pick a maximum of six
Opinion-formers were asked to reflect both on their overall impressions of the Arts Council,
and also on what they felt the organisations strengths and weaknesses were.
Some opinion-formers indicated, as with the question on the online survey, a range of
characteristics which they identified with the Arts Council:
Integrity. Commitment. Communication. Vision. Creativity.
Committed, political, over-stretched, bureaucratic.
Large. Bureaucratic. But suppportive, listening and open to change.
Further to this sense of bureaucracy, some opinion-formers raised doubts about whether an
organisation like the Arts Council can actually function in the ways in which stakeholders
might wish it to:
I do think it's institutionally dysfunctional on some levels[but] I think the people
within it are often really, really good people.. I just sense that there's something
about the institution that doesn't quite work, and almost never could. It's got a
difficult path to tread.
30%
25%
17%
9%
8%
3%
25%
24%
15%
6%
7%
2%
Accountable
Knowledgeable
Collaborative
Nurturing
Passionate
Bold
2012
2011
Base: All stakeholders (762), 2012; All stakeholders (785), 2011. Source: dha & ICM
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This is similar to the sense in the 2011 findings that, for some opinion-formers, the
bureaucratic nature of the Arts Council is something of a necessity, albeit an unfortunate
one.
Many opinion-formers overall impressions are tied closely to concerns about what the role
of the Arts Council is:
I see them very much as playing quite an active role in promoting the arts and being
advocates for the arts, so, and very supportive of initiatives.
For some, this revealed a sense of the changing the priorities of the Arts Council, though
different opinion-formers see these changes differently:
I think they have responded to changing times and different agendas....I think they are
much more connected with some of the agendas that are relevant to us, in terms of
digital agendas and community-based agendas. So yeah, I'm very encouraged by that.
I think its strengths are that in the last few years it appears to be more focused on the
art.
It's feeling a bit more, how can I put it, actually customer-focused...and by that I don't
mean artists and the things, but actually the public.
Several opinion-formers highlighted the difficulties of the Arts Councils role, and of the
current circumstances in which it operates:
It's got a challenging remit, it's got fingers in lots of different pots...
Well, they're doing a good job, you know, and I think they handled the last spending
round very well. Very competent, but also rather in on itself, because they're having to
cut themselves in half.
I think one of the weaknesses it may have is not necessarily of its own making, but is
being forced upon it by government, that it's been given too much to do.
For some opinion-formers whose engagement with the Arts Council takes placepredominantly through a regional office, there are questions about the overall direction of
the Arts Council:
I think the main thing as far as we're concerned is you know we're just wondering
about the effectiveness at a national level, I think I'm not saying that that's not
happening, but it is a concern....
With other opinion-formers, some of the challenges are about understanding the way in
which the Arts Council operates:
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Whilst I feel I'm quite engaged with the regional structure.some of the actual
structures and functions and the processes of grant-making and the relationship with
that, that side of the structure, are less transparent to me at the moment.
When asked about the Arts Councils weaknesses, some opinion-formers feel that the
forthcoming structural changes were necessary, and would be beneficial:
Sometimes I think they actually got too big.
I think it's overly complex, interestingly, in many areas I think there are too many of
them and that actually a more focused approach to who they are and what they do
would be helpful.
Whilst, where cited, the 2011 national portfolio organisation application process is widely
felt to be a positive process, some opinion-formers still feel that the Arts Council could be
bolder in its approach to funding:
Also there's still that challenge that the really large, established, traditional
organisations... In the major change up that just happened recently it would have been
interesting to see a bit more challenge to some of those larger organisations and bit
more of those resources spread to smaller organisations and mid-size organisations.
Other areas of weakness for some opinion-formers include the range of recent strategic
funds which have been launched by the Arts Council:
Instituting quite a lot of new funding streams, without making sure that kind of, it's notall about new all the timethere's needs to be some sustainability going on.
In an ideal world, I'd like to see fewer strategic commissioning funds, and basically
more trust placed in those that do enjoy revenue funding, to fund them properly and
just let them get on with the job.
Some opinion-formers cite very specific areas of weakness, such as evaluation and learning
within the organisation:
It's [the Arts Council] under-invested in research...and evaluation as wellIt's quitetired in its approach to evaluationI think it looks at it in 1990s perspectives of impact,
and doesn't really think about itself as a dynamic learning organisation.
Whereas for other opinion-formers, what is most important is the degree to which the Arts
Council can be seen to be successfully engaging with government:
I think its a bit toothless, when it comes to it. I don't think it's in a position where it
can lobby and fight it's corner. It is more and more as time goes on a kind of arm of
government, if you know what I mean.
I think they haven't always proved perhaps as politically adept as they might be.
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When asked about the Arts Councils strengths, opinion-formers cite both the specialist
expertise of officers, the connection with the sector and the confidence which the sector
has in the Arts Council:
Genuine expertise, and also genuine commitment.As funders go they're pretty
light touch really
A lot of backing from the arts industry sector. I think it's done a good job in changing
perceptions of the relationship between it and the national government funding, some
of which has not been the Arts Council's responsibility.
Having people with different specialisms, and that's again kind of a concern that I
would have if everything becomes too centralised that you kind of lose the ability to
have that real specialist advice.
Sheer dedication and quite a long of creative strength going on there.
they [the Arts Council] also understand arts organisations and understand the artistic
and creative process, so when things go wrong and need sorting out, they're grown-up
about how you can sort those things out.
For some opinion-formers, the widened responsibilities of the Arts Council are a strength,
enabling an overview which joins up different areas of cultural activity:
I think the fact that it provides a single authoritative voice for arts and more widerculture, including museums and libraries.
Clearly its funding position, and the fact that its increased its remit to include
museums and music hubs and things like that, which helps it sort of consolidate its
position.
For others, the ten-year strategic framework provides clarity:
Its mission statement is very clear, I think that's its main strength, in that everybody I
think understands what they're there for.
The focus, the arts for everyone, I think we've clear about the vision.
Finally, for some opinion-formers the structural principal of the Arts Council as an arms-
length funding organisation is its biggest strength:
Well, I believe in the Arts Councilin a mechanism which isat arms-length from
government.
Well, the arms-length principal. I think that's a massive strength. To actually keepthat is vitally important.
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4 The Arts Councils role and impact4.1 The Arts Councils roleOpinion-formers were asked to consider what they felt the Arts Councils role and remit
should be. Many opinion-formers view the Arts Councils role as primarily to advocate forthe arts across different sectors and stakeholders and more specifically to government:
*The Arts Councils role is to+ absolutely advocate for the arts and to get as much
money to come into the arts as they possibly can.
For some opinion-formers, that advocacy role extends to a responsibility to engage with the
public and to ensure that the perceived unique contribution of arts and culture is
communicated:
I think actually that the Arts Council has a really big role to play, particularly at themoment, in making the public more aware of what the arts can do for them. One of
the things that worries me hugely is the pu