Review

Page 1

By Ed Carroll So, now we know it. The Arts Council is efficient. The Evaluation Unit of the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht produced a Value for Money and Policy Review of the Arts Council that examined their activities from 2009 to 2012. It found: ”(The Arts Council) operated efficiently in a difficult climate by applying a principle of small funding cuts, widely distributed to ‘maintain the ecology of the arts sector in a challenging period”. The Arts Council was commended “for its response to the economic crisis by significantly reducing administration costs; overhauling its organisational structures; and developing on its RAISE initiative”, which helps arts organisations to diversify funding streams. The Review used the Programme Logic Model proffered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This defines the inputs, activities and outputs and outcomes of an organisation, constructed through a sequence of cause and effect between strategies and actions undertaken and benefits achieved. The approach never questions the starting points and so its findings inevitably lack a root cause analysis. This Review could not ask if the public good element of the spending is the right amount or type for groups whose cultural rights are curtailed. The Arts are an important place through which to explore and challenge the values we put forward and espouse as a society. The review fails to address whether we are any further along the road in realising the societal value of the Arts. The nature and scale of any such outcomes from Arts Council initiative or investment gets no mention. The review fails to balance values of efficiency and equality. The regressive nature of the National Lottery funding of the Arts Council is nowhere considered. This results in those with higher incomes benefiting more from public provision of the arts while those on lower incomes pay more for its provision. The Review is concerned with diversifying funding streams for the Arts, in particular through private and philanthropic sectors. It seeks to mimic a public service delivery with festival platforms such as the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, the Tiger Beer Dublin Fringe Festival and the Absolute Vodka’s Galway Arts Festival. These are ultimately platforms for the drinks industry amongst others.


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Review by A Blue Drum Evidence Room - Issuu