Arts Council England Review – our response

Commenting on the publication of the Independent Review of Arts Council England (ACE) by Baroness Hodge (pictured above) on 16 December 2025, WGGB General Secretary Ellie Peers said:

“We welcome this review by Baroness Hodge and her acknowledgement that ACE needs change to better serve the creative workforce. We particularly welcome her commitment to the importance of the Arms’ Length Principle and the importance of protecting arts and culture from political interference at both a national and regional level.

“Many of our members have told us how difficult it is to navigate the ACE application and reporting process, so we are delighted that this review recommends streamlining both, especially in the light of the recent Grantium IT crash.

“We are really pleased to see the recognition of both the importance – and the vulnerability –  of the freelance creative workforce in this review as well as the emphasis on inclusive practice and access.

“We have been highlighting the unfair way that individual writers/practitioners are locked out of the funding process for some time and so welcome the proposal for a National Programme for Individuals, to provide funding and mentoring support for emerging and mid-career individuals from low-income backgrounds, under-represented groups and under-serviced areas.

“We also welcome the recommendations that ACE should do more to scrutinise the policies and practices of the companies it funds, strengthen its work on advocating and sharing good practice and better use the wealth of data it already has.

“The review highlights the severe funding crisis in the arts over the past decade, particularly in comparison to other countries in Europe where the picture is more favourable, and proposes a series of additional options for leveraging financial investment. We look forward to seeing the Government’s response to the review and discussing this in more detail with them and other stakeholders in the New Year.”

Read the review in full here