A policy review marking ‘a real shift in how we view and talk about culture in this country’ was published today by Culture Secretary James Purnell.

"Supporting Excellence in the Arts - From Measurement to Judgment" by Sir Brian McMaster sets out new ways to recognise and reward high-quality work in the arts and in museums and galleries, and place risk-taking and innovation at the centre of the funding framework for every cultural organisation, large and small.

Specific recommendations in the report include:

• that the board of every cultural organisation should contain at least two artists and or practitioners,
• that all publicly funded cultural organisations remove admission charges for everyone for one week each year to address the endemic ‘it’s not for me’ syndrome, and
• that the ten most innovative cultural companies receive ten-year funding packages to support their ambition.

Welcoming Sir Brian’s report, James Purnell said: "This report proposes how Government and cultural funding bodies can move from measurement to judgement.

"The time has come to reclaim the word ‘excellence’ from its historic and elitist context, and to accept that the highest quality and the broadest audience can go hand-in-hand. The very best art and culture can change people’s lives, and everyone - regardless of their background or where they live - deserves the chance to experience the very best.

"So this report is a positive and exciting contribution to the future of arts and culture in the UK. I believe it could lead to a fundamental change in the way we view and talk about the arts in this country in the years to come. I warmly welcome it, and look forward to considering each of the recommendations in detail."

http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Press_notices/archive_2008/dcms002_08.htm