We will work with DCMS to deliver further rounds of the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) programme to support the refurbishment of our non- national museums. We will continue to support the fair application of business rates across museums and other parts of the cultural estate. We will support more museums to take advantage of the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief and will make the case to government for its continuation.

We will continue to focus on maximising opportunities to develop and protect our nation’s collections so that they are enjoyed by as many people as possible. We will work with our partners in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure that UK-wide government schemes such as Government Indemnity, Acceptance in Lieu, Cultural Gifts, Export Licensing, Accreditation and Designation remain fit for purpose and are delivered effectively and efficiently.

Over the next year, we will complete the integration of our cultural property work into the core business of the Arts Council so that all our collections and cultural property programmes are more strategic, efficient and inclusive.

We will undertake governance reviews of all our collections and cultural property panels and committees (and the advisers that support them) to ensure they have the necessary knowledge and expertise and are more representative of the communities we serve.

Our work designating collections as outstanding will be strengthened to ensure those collections are appropriately recognised, supported and researched. We will also introduce new electronic business systems for Export Licensing and the Government Indemnity Scheme. We will be refreshing the way we deliver museum and cultural property security and protection advice to ensure it remains effective and responsive to sector needs.

Public libraries will be at the heart of work in developing our place-based approach. We will work closely with them to ensure that they play a central role in supporting levelling up and community building, developing employability, helping to deliver health, wellbeing and loneliness strategies, and helping to close the digital divide. To help achieve this, we have refreshed our guidance for National Lottery Project Grants so that libraries can use that programme to deliver the four Universal Library Offers (Reading, Health and Wellbeing, Digital and Information, and Culture and Creativity).

We will work closely with DCMS on the delivery of further rounds of the Library Improvement Fund, a new capital investment programme to support the refurbishment of libraries. We encouraged more libraries to apply to become National Portfolio Organisations and we expect that libraries will also play a key role in our work in our Priority Places.

We will continue to work closely with the British Library on the development and delivery of its LibraryOn project, working with up to 50 library services over three years to develop and test new integrated digital platforms to deliver library services.

We will also ensure closer alignment of our literature and libraries development strategies, building partnerships with the National Literacy Trust and publishers to develop a series of hubs across the country to support the development of reading beyond schools.

We will continue to work with partners to explore the possibility of developing a new accreditation system for public libraries, and we will ensure that the English Public Libraries Strategic Working Group (EPL) continues to operate as the key strategic planning forum for libraries. Across all our engagement with libraries we will work to ensure that they understand the importance of a consistent approach to data collection.

As we undertake the delivery of the three Outcomes laid out in Let’s Create, we will organise our work initially around five Themes:

1. Building a ‘fit for the future’ cultural sector 
2. Strengthening our place-based approach and supporting levelling up 
3. Increasing our support for individuals  
4. Helping the cultural sector to work internationally 
5. How the Arts Council will change 

These Themes have arisen out of our conversations with those working in the cultural sector and with the government and they are designed to focus on those areas identified as being in most pressing need of attention and investment if we are to successfully navigate the new, post-pandemic landscape.

Each Theme section is organised in two parts: an introductory narrative and a list of Actions. The narrative sets out a rationale and overview of the Theme. It also includes a number of activities that represent ongoing work as well as policy work in development. We view the activities identified in the narrative as having equal weight to the Actions in terms of their strategic significance and where we allocate our staff resources.

In applying these Themes, we will also remain focused on the commitment to children and young people which we set out in Let’s Create. As the evidence begins to mount on the potential long-term impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health and educational attainment, we will continue our efforts to help all our children and young people fulfil their creative potential and access the highest quality cultural experiences where they go to school, and where they spend their free time.

We will endeavour to create opportunities for young people to develop their own creative and cultural skills, wherever they live and irrespective of their social and economic background, so that we grow the pool of talent available to the arts, museums and libraries and the wider creative industries. This year sees a focus on children and young people across the UK National Lottery Good Causes distributors, and we look forward to working with the other National Lottery distributors to champion and celebrate creativity and culture for children and young people.

As schools reset themselves in the wake of the pandemic, we will continue to work with the Department for Education (DfE), the public and teachers to highlight the importance of creativity in education, and of a rich curriculum that includes art and design, dance, drama and music. This includes the implementation of the findings of the Durham Commission, including investment in a network of Creativity Collaboratives across the country. We will continue our partnership work with the DfE to review and strengthen the network of Music Hubs, exploring opportunities for Hubs to work more closely with the other cultural organisations in which we invest.

And, given the very public damage caused by Covid-19 to the livelihoods of creative and cultural practitioners working in the cultural sector, we will pay particular attention to supporting those seeking to start a career in the arts, museums and libraries, and to doing our best to ensure that such careers are open to everyone, regardless of their background.

The pandemic and its legacy have challenged the cultural sector in ways that could not have been anticipated; they have touched every aspect of our work, and their impact will be felt for years to come. As our sector recovers and renews itself, we believe that the Themes and Actions set out in this Delivery Plan will act as a framework to support the cultural sector to help our communities and the wider economy to grow and become stronger than ever, to repair the damage wrought by the pandemic, but also to draw on its lessons and build on the innovations it has generated.

The future is filled with potential, and we believe this Delivery Plan will allow the cultural sector to harness and realise it.