The Arts Council of England wants to know what people think. The second stage of their first-ever public inquiry, the arts debate, is an open public consultation, and they’re calling for everyone to get involved. As they say: “Some people don’t think of themselves as interested in the arts, even though they might go to the cinema, listen to music and read books. So what do the arts mean to you?” The public consultation aims to find out what people value in the arts, and what they expect from public funding. It accompanies a more formal research programme with the arts sector and other key stakeholders including artists, and arts organisations in one-to-one meetings, interviews, discussion groups and workshops. Stage 1 of the arts debate occurred last November with the Arts Council hosting a series of 20 discussion groups around the country. Some participants had little or no involvement with the arts while others engaged with the arts on a regular basis. Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive, Arts Council England described the discussions as “broad and deep, thoughtful and lively and, at times, heated and challenging. Most participants surprised themselves – and us – with how much they had to say about the role the arts play in their lives and in the life of this country”. The findings of the discussions are available on the arts debate website. Stage 2 invites everyone else to have their say and respond to five key questions that “have been informed by the findings of the initial research”. The Arts Council wants to know:

What do you value about the arts?

What principles should guide public funding of the arts today?

What are the responsibilities of a publicly funded arts organisation?

When should an artist receive public money?

Should members of the public be involved in arts funding decisions? Peter Hewitt believes that “The arts debate is a unique opportunity for members of the public, artists, arts organisations and a wide range of other institutions to debate the principles that should guide public funding of the arts today. It’s very exciting – opening up the debate in this way may create some entirely new possibilities for the arts in England” For more information, CLICK HERE