rich_jacko

About a month ago I wrote to the Arts Council to bother them (in a polite way) about being scumbags and cutting Museums Sheffield's funding. After pestering them again, they have eventually sent me this reply:

"Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding our Renaissance major partner funding decision for Museums Sheffield. I am responding to you on behalf of our Museums team.

This is the first time major grants to regional museums have been awarded for a three year period (2012/13 – 2014/15) via an open application process against published criteria. Decisions were taken using specialist museums knowledge and expertise, from inside and outside the Arts Council, and we made our choices only against the principles and priorities that we had published in advance.

Overall we received 29 applications for the Renaissance Major partner grants programme requesting almost £40 million a year against a total annual budget of around £20 million - meaning that applications nationwide amounted to double the budget available to us and we have had to make some very difficult choices.

The museums offer in Yorkshire is particularly strong, so it wasn’t surprising that we received several strong applications from the region to become Major partner museums. Given the available budget and the need to invest across the country, we couldn’t fund them all. We made difficult choices, against the principles and priorities that we had published in advance, and we have given Museums Sheffield a detailed explanation of how we assessed their application and arrived at our decision.

We know that this decision, was a big disappointment for Museums Sheffield, as it was for other unsuccessful applicants, and it wasn’t taken lightly. Renaissance funding is designed to be extra development money and was never intended to be core funding towards museums’ running costs – the majority of which comes from local authorities, trusts and foundations. But we recognise that Renaissance is an important source of additional income for many regional museums.

Arts Council England recognises and values the important work of Museums Sheffield. That’s why we’re discussing with them how we might support their ambitions for the future with funding from other parts of the Renaissance programme. In the meantime, they will receive transitional funding to help them adjust to these changes, the first payment of which has already been agreed.

We wanted to invest the major grants money as evenly as we could across England, so that the whole museums sector, and audiences across the country, would benefit.

Since assuming responsibility for museums, we have set out our strategic goals for the sector in Culture, knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone. All four parts of the Renaissance programme reflect these goals. You can read more about Renaissance, our open application process and how we made our Major partner funding decisions here.

We know that not everyone will agree with all our funding decisions but Arts Council England’s job is to make the choices we believe will best ensure that as many people as possible across the country have access to great art and culture.

The figure of £4.62 you quote in your email, which has been taken from our website, only refers to only National portfolio funding levels for the next financial year and not Arts Council England’s funding for Sheffield as a whole. Arts Council England invests in the arts and culture in Sheffield in many other ways too, for example through Grants for the arts and Strategic funds.

Historically, investment levels in the arts have varied across England, mainly due to the different priorities of the old regional arts boards, local authorities and other funders. It’s something Arts Council England is working hard with our funding partners to address, in Sheffield and elsewhere – and it’s another reason why it was so important to ensure that Renaissance Major partner funds were distributed across the country.

Where this hasn’t proved possible, we will use the Renaissance Strategic support fund to fill geographical gaps, and to fund other important museums work. We’ll also be investing in museums through the Renaissance Museums development fund and national programmes.

We’re holding constructive conversations with a number of other unsuccessful applicants, looking at how we might best invest in their future, despite the difficult circumstances. We want to help them continue to do their valuable work because, in tough economic times, we need the inspiration, escape and enjoyment that great art and culture give us more than ever.

I’d like to thank you again for taking the time to share your views with us. I hope the above information will help to reassure you that we can and will continue to work with key partners such as Museums Sheffield - to help them continue to deliver the great work that we know audiences across the region enjoy.

If you have any further queries please contact our Enquiries team for assistance on 0845 300 6200 or email enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk.

Kind regards"

It's irritatingly vague and non-committal about future funding, but I suppose at least it isn't an outright "No".