Arts Council of Great Britain

Arts Council of Great Britain
Name	Arts Council of Great Britain
Formation	1946
Extinction	1994
Type	Non-departmental public body
Status	Defunct
Purpose	Promotion of the fine arts
Headquarters	London
Region served	England, Scotland, Wales
Parent organization	Department of Education and Science

Arts Council of Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body established in 1946 to develop and fund the arts across England, Scotland, and Wales. It emerged from the wartime Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts and was championed by figures like economist John Maynard Keynes. For nearly five decades, it was the principal channel for state subsidy of the arts, distributing Treasury grants to a wide array of institutions including theatre companies, orchestras, museums, and galleries.

History and formation

The council's origins lie in the Second World War, when the Churchill war ministry established the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts in 1940. This body, supported by the Pilgrim Trust, aimed to maintain morale through cultural activities. Its success led to the publication of the influential *The Arts in War Time* report. Following the war, the post-war Labour government formalized this support, transforming CEMA into a permanent body via a Royal Charter granted in August 1946. The council's first chairman was John Maynard Keynes, who had been instrumental in founding the BBC and the Royal Opera House. Early key appointments included Secretary-General Mary Glasgow and influential figures like Kenneth Clark and Dame Ninette de Valois.

Structure and governance

The council was governed by a board of up to sixteen members, appointed by the Minister for the Arts, who was answerable to Parliament. Its headquarters were in London, initially at St. James's Square and later at Piccadilly. The organization operated through a series of specialist advisory panels for disciplines like music, drama, art, and literature. These panels included prominent artists and administrators such as composer Benjamin Britten, theatre director Peter Hall, and painter Victor Pasmore. Day-to-day operations were managed by a secretariat led by the Secretary-General, a role later held by individuals like Hugh Willatt and Luke Rittner.

Funding and financial operations

The council's primary income was an annual grant-in-aid from the Treasury, administered through the Department of Education and Science. This funding was distributed as direct grants to major institutions like the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and the London Symphony Orchestra. It also provided project funding to smaller organizations and individual artists through schemes like the Arts Council Collection. Financial decisions were often contentious, balancing support for established national museums in London against the needs of regional venues like the Birmingham Repertory Theatre or the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

Key initiatives and programmes

Significant programmes included the establishment of the Arts Council Collection of modern British art and the creation of the Housing the Arts fund to build and improve venues. The council was pivotal in supporting the growth of the regional theatre movement and the contemporary dance scene, aiding companies like the Ballet Rambert and The Royal Ballet. It also funded major public art projects and festivals, including contributions to the Edinburgh International Festival and the Hayward Gallery exhibitions. Its literature panel provided crucial support to publishers and writers through grants to organizations like the Poetry Book Society.

Relationship with national arts councils

From its inception, the council operated across the three nations, but growing demands for cultural autonomy led to the establishment of separate advisory committees for Scotland and Wales. These evolved into the Scottish Arts Council and the Welsh Arts Council in 1967, which became responsible for distributing funding within their nations under the broad policy of the London-based council. This federal structure often created tensions, particularly regarding the allocation of resources between the English regions and the Celtic nations, and presaged the later devolution of arts funding.

Criticism and controversies

The council faced persistent criticism for an alleged London-centric bias, favoring institutions like the Royal Opera House over regional projects. Its funding decisions were frequently challenged, such as the contentious withdrawal of support from the Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. It was also accused of elitism and failing to support popular or community arts. High-profile conflicts included disputes with the Greater London Council over funding for the Institute of Contemporary Arts and criticism from artists like Francis Bacon and institutions like the Tate Gallery over its acquisition policies.

Legacy and successor bodies

The council was dissolved in 1994 following the National Heritage Act 1993 and the Local Government Act 1994. Its functions were devolved to three new, fully independent bodies: the Arts Council of England, the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales. This restructuring reflected the changing political landscape and demands for greater cultural devolution. The council's foundational principle of "arm's length" public funding, insulating artistic decisions from direct government control, remains a cornerstone of cultural policy in the United Kingdom. Its archives are held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Category:Arts Council of Great Britain Category:Defunct arts organizations based in the United Kingdom Category:Organizations established in 1946 Category:Organizations disestablished in 1994