Arts Council England Abandons Let's Create Strategy After Hodge Review

Arts Council England (ACE) has scrapped its flagship 10-year strategy, Let's Create, following a government-commissioned review led by Labour peer Margaret Hodge that criticized the framework as overly bureaucratic and stifling creativity. The review, published last December, found that while many supported Let's Create's principles, its implementation constrained artistic freedom. ACE has introduced a new interim strategic framework described as a "stepping-stone" move, based on three principles: support excellence, deliver for everybody, and reach everywhere. The new framework aims to balance investment across England, continuing the network of "Priority Places" for underfunded areas. ACE will immediately develop a new service for freelancers and individual artists with a national funding programme. The Let's Create strategy, introduced in 2020, centered on four investment principles including Environmental Responsibility and Inclusivity & Relevance. ACE chair Nicholas Serota steps down on 31 July, with the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport overseeing his replacement. One museum professional told The Art Newspaper anonymously that the revamp is welcome but hopes it will be less prescriptive.