Why do we assess artistic quality?

Artistic quality is one of our criteria for assessment. It is central to our responsibility for public funding and our role as an arts development agency.

Everyone responds to artistic experiences differently. We may be inspired, thrilled or challenged by the experience; we may respond emotionally, intellectually, physically or spiritually. The capacity to engage us directly and in different ways is one of the strengths of the arts. It can also make artistic quality difficult to talk about and define.

Different artforms have their own languages, histories and perspectives. Contexts such as work with young people may have additional priorities. We are committed to promoting the highest quality in artistic work for the greatest number of people. This is why we have developed our approach to assessing quality and are sharing it with artists, organisations and the public.

How do we assess artistic quality?

We consider three dimensions of artistic work:

• Idea - the concept or artistic impetus behind the work
• Practice - the effectiveness of how the work is put into practice and the impact it has on those experiencing it
• Development - the contribution the work makes to the development of the artist, the artform and the arts more widely