Tory lobby attacks ‘politically motivated’ Arts Council England

Tory lobby attacks ‘politically motivated’ Arts Council England

News

norman lebrecht

January 13, 2023

The Conservative Way Forward organisation has published its analysis of the ACE’s latest budget;

In November 2022, the Arts Council announced the 990 “National Portfolio Organisations” that would be receiving taxpayers’ money
for the period 2023-2026 (a total of £2.1 billion). Analysis shows that 196 of these organisations can be identified as politically motivated and engaging in campaigning activities. The annual funding that these organisations are set to receive every year is £126 million, and over the lifetime of the programme will amount to a total cost of £505.2 million.

Examples of the campaigning undertaken by these groups
includes:
• The Beacon Collaborative, will be in receipt of £163,333 a year, and advocates recommendations to “support orgs addressing
intersectional oppression”.
• The Crafts Council, which will receive over £2 million a year, and looks at “challenges to women of colour in craft spaces and
on social media, including racism, microaggressions and gaining recognition as expert makers”.
• The Chineke Foundation (pictured), which is set to receive £700,000 a year, and celebrates the fact that it “presented a season
with over 60% of music written by composers from the global majority” (a contentious term which encapsulates those
individuals who are classed as having been “minoritized”).
• Autograph ABP awarded over £1 million a year to “champion photography that explores issues of race, identity,
representation, human rights and social justice” whilst hosting discussions on “decolonising the camera”.
• Sadler’s Wells will receive over £2 million a year and has at the core of its work a commitment to acknowledge “the pain and
injustice caused by systemic racism”, to “address bias (conscious or unconscious) at every level”, and to introduce a “racial
equality task force” an “anti-racism steering group”, and an “EDI steering group”.
• Tara Theatre, has been granted £422,000 a year to carry out projects like “Unconscious? Exploring Bias in UK Theatre” that sets
out to “explore racial bias, stereotyping and discrimination in the creative industries” and
• Apples and Snakes, given £463,000 a year, has supported politically motivated causes such as “a vigil for black girls and
boys dehumanised in our education and policing system.”

Comments

  • Anon says:

    I’m surprised CWF didn’t find fault with every single ACE award – the stuff they are complaining about is demanded of ACE for all NPO applicants, so all successful organisations should have signed up to the very agenda CWF criticises.

  • Jo Green says:

    Now it’s clear why ACE had to act over ENO. Duke abducts and rapes jester’s daughter, slaves paraded by Egyptian conquerors, under-age Japanese girl seduced by older man. These are just a tiny selection of acts which shouldn’t be allowed on St Martin’s Lane although why it’s okay in the regions hasn’t been properly explained by ACE.

  • Curvy Honk Glove says:

    I don’t get it. This is a fantastic use of arts funding. These tRumpist Tories are just jealous their dusty old tunes are being displaced in the new global arts landscape.

    • Bone says:

      “New global arts landscape” LOL. I’m sure western art music is going to benefit greatly from these programs…

    • Serge says:

      Nothing is replaced. It is all forgotten, if it ever was remembered, like all the organizations on this list.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      I wonder if they have documents hidden in their garages as well??!! Don’t do as I do, do as I say.

    • Musician says:

      Must put in my application for research into the 99% white male contribution to culture and science. I’m sure the identitarians at the ACE will view that favourably.

  • Chris says:

    The funding information ( note that its only a selection) seems entirely unobjectionable to me. This is more to do with the Tory culture war, I suspect. Keeps one’s mind off the mess they’ve made.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      The “Tory” culture war? That’s like saying the British WW2 – which neither started. I wonder if the Germans today refer to the British war?!!

  • Dodo says:

    About four decades too late, but nice they noticed.

  • Mystic Chord says:

    Conservative Way Forward – what a glorious oxymoron!

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Orwellian.

  • christopher storey says:

    Wonderful : some common sense being talked at last

  • Manon says:

    Well you wont hear much criticism from the left because this type of misplaced engineered egalitarianism has its roots firmly in their ideologies.

  • Pianofortissimo says:

    You get what you pay for.

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