The Arts Council England have provided the first outline of their new approach to running the funding programme, further details of which will be published in September ahead of the Arts Council taking over this function from the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) on 1 October 2011.
Their approach to taking on Renaissance will strike a balance between continuity and change whilst building on the programme’s considerable achievements. They will continue to look carefully at each area of the programme in an effort to achieve the greatest possible alignment with the Arts Council’s work, ensuring Renaissance helps museums across the country to fulfil their aims and ambitions.
There were four strands to the MLA Renaissance proposals, one of which will stay the same and three of which will change. The National Programmes strand will be transferred to the Arts Council on 1 October, continuing as before.
However, They will take a new approach to the other three strands:
- A programme of major grants as a development of the MLA core museum concept will begin with an open application process, similar to our National Portfolio programme.
- The strategic support fund will be similar to MLA’s proposed challenge fund. The details of this fund are still under discussion, and further announcements will be made in the coming months.
- Lastly, a strong commitment to museum development will be maintained, with a £3m investment.
In September the Arts Council will also publish a companion document to Achieving Great Art for Everyone, their 10-year framework for the arts, on how they will interpret their strategic goals for museums and libraries between 2012 and 2015. This will also outline the benefits and opportunities they believe exist for all their stakeholders as a result of their wider cultural role. This will build upon the publication of Estelle Morris’ review on how the Arts Council could best approach their extended remit.
Their is further work to do ahead of taking on these functions and the Arts Council will continue to engage with the wider museums and libraries sector as they look to adjust the Arts Council’s goals to reflect their needs and priorities.
An informal consultation on the longer term focus beyond 2015 will be launched in the autumn to ensure a wide range of views are heard about how best to reflect the long-term ambitions of all the sectors that the Arts Council now represents.