Tuesday 20 April, 10.00
- Arts Council England to face MPs’ questions on distribution
of support funding during pandemic
The DCMS Committee will examine the role played by Arts Council
England in the distribution of the initial £1.57 billion Culture
Recovery Fund to arts organisations affected by the pandemic. A
further £300 million was announced in the 2021 Budget.
It was one of four bodies given responsibility by the Department
for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for the awarding,
distribution, and administration of funding which aimed to support
75% of cultural sector organisations at risk during 2020-21.
MPs are expected to focus on communications around the CRF,
eligibility criteria used to award grants, and the acknowledgement
that money failed to ‘trickle down’ to help freelancers
affected.
The session will also examine the financial impact of Covid-19 on
Arts Council England’s 10-year strategy to boost creativity and
culture amid the likelihood of further reductions in local
authority investment in arts and culture.
It will consider the organisation’s role in mitigating the
challenges of cultural exchanges, touring, and exporting to EU
countries post-Brexit.
This one-off session is part of the Committee’s regular scrutiny
of DCMS departmental arm’s-length bodies.
Witnesses at 10.00:
- Sir Nicholas Serota CH, Chair, Arts Council England
- Dr Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive, Arts Council England
