Arm's length principle
Arts Council England and Regional Arts Councils operate "at arm's length" from Government in deciding funding for individual artforms and art organisations.
This means that decisions on how much support should be given to a particular artist, theatre or music group are taken by experts in Arts Councils, and not by Ministers in the department.
The Funding Agreement between Arts Council England and DCMS, which sets out DCMS' objectives for education, access and excellence, guides these decisions.
This principle has been a feature of the arts funding system in England for the last 50 years.
|
