The Ivors Academy welcomes the publication of the Independent Review of Arts Council England, led by Baroness Margaret Hodge. The review presents a clear opportunity to reset cultural funding in England around creative excellence, fairness and effective support for songwriters and composers.
We strongly support the review’s reaffirmation of the arm’s length principle – so arts funding is independent from politics - which is fundamental to protecting creative freedom and was a central recommendation in The Ivors Academy’s submission.
We are encouraged by the review’s response to long-standing concerns raised by our members and reflected in our evidence, including:
- Recommendations to strengthen regional presence and improve local decision-making.
- A renewed focus on creative excellence, through the recommendation to replace Let’s Create with a simpler and less prescriptive strategy.
- Clear recognition of the growing threat to music education and the talent development pipeline, driven by declining arts provision in schools and the closure of degree courses.
- A call for a radical overhaul of funding application systems, acknowledging that current processes are overly complex, resource-intensive and too often act as barriers to composers and songwriters.
Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, said: “To fulfil their remit as a vital organisation for many songwriters and composers, Arts Council England must quickly reform to refocus on creative excellence and access, urgently overhauling funding application systems that have become barriers rather than gateways for songwriters and composers. I look forward to working with ACE and the Government to achieve this.”
