‘Suitcases’, Plovdiv drama theatre, Skegness International. Credit: John Byford
Arts Council England is the lead body charged with developing the arts in England. Our mission is Great art for everyone. We work to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people’s lives.
Our aim in championing is to embed the arts in public life through advocacy and by brokering partnerships. In developing, we commission projects or programmes to address particular challenges or seize new opportunities. In investing, we aim to make informed decisions about how best to allocate public money to ensure that the arts thrive.
We seek the following outcomes from our work:
- excellence
outstanding art and outstanding art experiences - reach
more people attending and taking part in the arts - engagement
more people feeling that the arts are meaningful to them - diversity
the arts reflecting the diversity of contemporary England - innovation
artists and organisations having the freedom, and being challenged, to innovate
The strategic framework builds on our mission by bringing clarity and focus to what we want to achieve over the next 10 years. It provides the rationale for our investment in the arts and will inform our future funding decisions. It includes a vision statement, five long-term goals and a number of priorities within each goal for the next four years. It has been shaped by the views of artists, arts organisations, the public and our many other stakeholders and partners.
With its focus on long-term collaborative action, the strategic framework will enable the Arts Council to work with partners towards positive change in the arts. It will help create the conditions in which great art can be made, experienced and appreciated by as many people as possible. It will support us in realising our vision of England as a world-leading creative and cultural nation. It will enable us to achieve even more impact from our investment.
In essence, the strategic framework offers a powerful means both to recognise better our collective achievement and to drive ambition for the future success of the arts.
