Academic Libraries and Arts Council England

1. Academic Libraries and Arts Council England Friday 4 November 2011 Nathan Lee Relationship Manager, Libraries Porcelain table light and candle holders by Linda Stevens Photo: Theo Moye

2. Agenda • New challenges and opportunities • Where we are now • An introduction to Arts Council England • Issues and opportunities for Academic Libraries in the longer term goals Graeae, The Garden at Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, 2010

3. New challenges, new opportunities The Arts Council has taken over five of MLA’s functions: • museum sector development and improvement • Renaissance programme • Libraries sector development and improvement • cultural property and collections functions • London 2012 programmes Change born out of necessity butpresents unprecedented opportunity to: • create a more coherent cultural offer for all three sectors • have a single conversation especially at local authority level • offer a better deal to the public

4. Where we are now change...a process not a set date in time have been working hard over past nine months    - complex process of transferring staff and programmes - ensuring necessary expertise in place to support sector focus: on how our role in libraries development will operate within Arts Council’s strategic aims from 2012/13

5. Introduction to Arts Council England Our mission is great art for everyone Our expanding remit will see us championing, developing and investing in libraries and museums, so that people’s lives can be shaped and enriched by artistic andcultural experiences and knowledge

6. Our strategy - Achieving great art for everyone • Talent and artistic excellence are thriving and celebrated • Excellence is thriving and celebrated in museums and libraries • More people experience and are inspired by the arts • More people experience and are inspired by museums and libraries • The arts are sustainable, resilient and innovative • Museums and libraries are sustainable, resilient and innovative • The arts leadership and workforce are diverse and highly skilled • The leadership and workforce are diverse and highly skilled • Every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts • Every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of museums and libraries

7. Culture, knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone Framework for our funding decisions in theshort-term Starting point for future plans for thelong-term • places museums and libraries at the heart of our work • shows how goals relevant to museums and libraries • highlights benefits and opportunities of partnerships for and with arts sector We are still listening • informal consultation on longer term beyond 2015 • ensure a wide range of views are heard • how to reflect the long-term ambitions of all sectors

8. Talking to the sector and stakeholders Emphasise libraries’ role in communities Grab digital opportunities Focus on big themes Stained Glass artist Daniella Wilson-Dunne in the newly refurbished Brewery Arts Centre in Cirencester

9. Arts Council vision for libraries • Libraries provide access to information, learning and cultural content in shared and trusted spaces; they inspire and empower people to lead active lives, enriched through cultural experience.

10. Arts Council role with libraries • To: • Advocate • Develop • Invest The grand launch of the newly refurbished Spike Island, Bristol, which was part-funded by the Arts Council Photo: Kevin Clifford

11. Culture and the arts working together • Culture, knowledge and understanding: great museums and libraries for everyone • http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/culture_knowledge_and_understanding.pdf • Libraries development initiative • Strategic investment

12. Our role in the libraries sector 2011-15 • Public libraries main focus • Championing the role of libraries and building a sense of shared value • Providing regular factual information to DCMS • Developing advice and sector-wide responses to areas of national policy • Generating and disseminating best practice, focusing on professional and organisational development

13. Opportunities for academic libraries in the longer term goals? • Goal 1: Excellence is thriving and celebrated in libraries • Focus investment on those best able to drive innovation and share learning • Supporting those looking to expand their horizons • Supporting sustainable development • Promote research • Support those developing their offer with their users • Build on good practice • Support partnerships across arts and libraries and museums

14. Opportunities for academic libraries in the longer term goals? • Goal 2: More people experience and inspired by libraries • Build on the role of libraries in inspiring civic pride and making a valuable contribution to local economies • Support libraries’ work with communities including volunteering • Learn from libraries in attracting people that the arts find hard to reach and encouraging cross-cultural partnerships • Develop our touring and digital work to encompass libraries • Embrace lifelong learning work and champion the role of access to knowledge and information in supporting people’s well-being and development

15. Opportunities for academic libraries in the longer term goals? • Goal 3: Libraries and sustainable, resilient and innovative • Strengthen our relationship with co-funders including higher education • Support, encourage and promote the most innovative and enterprising • Champion a debate with others about the future of museum and library services • Encourage philanthropy • Encourage networking, collaboration and partnerships to stimulate local innovation, shared learning and capture efficiencies

16. Opportunities for academic libraries in the longer term goals? • Goal 4: The leadership and workforce and diverse and highly skilled • Champion diversity • Encourage skills development and knowledge sharing • Commitment to leadership development • Learning from libraries’ work with communities including governance • Build cultural advocacy skills

17. Opportunities for academic libraries in the longer term goals? • Goal 5: Every child and young person has opportunity to experience the richness of libraries • Institute a debate about what constitutes excellent arts and cultural provision for children and young people • Argue for a coherent and targeted approach to high quality arts and cultural provision for young people • Ask the Bridge organisations (Curious Minds in the NW) to pioneer new relationships across education and culture • Share learning • Adapt the Artsmark and Arts Award

18. Key Questions • What else should we be considering as we plan for the next 10 years? • What challenges and opportunities have we underplayed or not yet identified? • What are your issues and views?

19. Thank you Nathan.lee@artscouncil.org.uknicky.morgan@artscouncil.org.uk www.artscouncil.org.uk