Open call for evidence

Arts Council England review - survey questions

Published 20 February 2025

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/arts-council-england-review/arts-council-england-review-survey-questions

Introduction

Why we are launching this survey

This Review is an opportunity for a national conversation about the future of Arts Council England and how creativity is nurtured and developed in the future. This survey is one part of that conversation and will enable a broad range of people to share their views and ideas. It is an essential part of the evidence collection for this Review.

Who we want to hear from

This is your opportunity to help shape the review and influence the future of Arts Council England.

We want to hear from anyone who has an interest in or a view about the operation of the Arts Council England and what it delivers. From the users of the art forms ACE funds, through creative practitioners, freelancers, national, local or community based organisations and institutions, all views will be welcomed and taken into consideration.

About the survey

The survey starts with a profile section consisting of up to 10 questions. The remaining questions are optional, consisting of 32 questions across 6 themed sections. The questions are listed on this page below for consideration in advance of completing the survey.

After the profile section the questions are optional, and there is no mandatory requirement to answer every one. If a section or question is not relevant to your experience you can choose not to answer it.

You do not have to complete the survey in one go, respondents can leave the site and then return to complete at a later date. Just close the window and when you open the link again it will take you back to where you left. Responses not submitted by the time the survey closes will not be included in the results.

We want individuals and organisations to have their say in as much depth as they would like and have therefore included a number of questions with free text boxes. To enable us to process large numbers of responses in this form we will utilise AI to help us analyse the data gathered. Further information on how the data will be used is provided in the privacy notice below.

The survey will close at midday on 24 April 2025.

We do encourage you to use our online survey where possible. This provides us with quicker access to your responses for analysis.

However, if you have specific access requirements, please contact the ACE Review Team at: enquiries@dcms.gov.uk

Start survey

Survey questions - profile

P1: Please indicate whether you are responding individually or representing an organisation.

Choose “in my own right” if sharing personal views, or “on behalf of an organisation” if providing official responses for an employer or institution.

If - Responding individually:

P2: Where are you based?

  • East of England
  • East Midlands
  • London
  • North East
  • North West
  • South East
  • South West
  • West Midlands
  • Yorkshire and The Humber
  • Other (please state).

P3: To help us think about differences and similarities at a local level, please provide the first part of your postcode (e.g. SW1).

P4: Do you currently work for Arts Council England (ACE)? Yes / No

P5: Have you ever worked for ACE? Yes / No

P6: Which best describes the sector(s) which you or your organisation work in?

  • Art Market
  • Dance
  • Libraries
  • Literature
  • Local / Combined Authority
  • Museums, Collections or Cultural Property
  • Music (including Opera and Orchestra)
  • Non Discipline Specific / Other
  • Theatre
  • Visual Arts
  • Combined Arts (public installation / street art / festival / carnival /circus)
  • Not involved in the arts or culture sector

P7: Are you currently in receipt of Arts Council England funding? Yes / No

If yes:

P8: Which type(s) of funding do you receive?

  • National Portfolio Organisation (NPO)
  • Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO)
  • National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG)
  • Music Hubs
  • Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP)
  • Creative People & Places (CPP)
  • Capital Investment Programme
  • Cultural Development Fund
  • Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) grant
  • Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) loan
  • Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND)
  • Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF)
  • Incentivising Touring Scheme
  • International Touring and Environmental Responsibility Fund
  • Other (please state)

P9: Approximately how much funding a year do you receive?

  • £0 - 10K
  • £10K - 100K
  • £100K - 500K
  • £500K - 1 million
  • £1 million +
  • Prefer not to say
  • Don’t know

If no:

P10: Have you previously received Arts Council England funding? Yes / No

If yes:

P11: Which type(s) of funding did you receive?

  • National Portfolio Organisation (NPO)
  • Investment Principles Support Organisation (IPSO)
  • National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG)
  • Music Hubs
  • Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP)
  • Creative People & Places (CPP)
  • Capital Investment Programme
  • Cultural Development Fund
  • Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) grant
  • Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) loan
  • Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND)
  • Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF)
  • Incentivising Touring Scheme
  • International Touring and Environmental Responsibility Fund
  • Other (please state)

If no:

P12: Have you ever applied for Arts Council England funding? Yes / No

If - Responding on behalf of an organisation:

P13: How many people work for your organisation?

  • 1-5
  • 5-25
  • 25-100
  • 100-1000
  • 1000+

P14: Where does your organisation work?

  • East of England
  • East Midlands
  • London
  • North East
  • North West
  • South East
  • South West
  • West Midlands
  • Yorkshire and The Humber
  • Other (please state)

P15: If you are comfortable to do so, please state the name of your organisation.

Survey questions - purpose and structure

Question 1: In what way(s) does ACE fulfil its current mandate? - [free text box]

Question 2: What changes, if any, would you like to see in ACE’s mandate? - [free text box]

Question 3: How would you rate ACE’s performance against its mandate?

  • Very poor
  • Poor
  • Average
  • Good
  • Very good

Question 4: In what way(s) could ACE deliver more effectively?- [free text box]

Question 5: On a scale of 1 - 5 how strongly do you support ACE’s current 10 year strategy Let’s Create

  • Do not support at all
  • Mainly don’t support
  • Neutral
  • Mainly support
  • Fully support

Question 6: What is important to you in the Let’s Create strategy? - [free text box]

Question 7: In what ways would you wish to enhance the strategy?- [free text box]

Question 8: Arts Council England is the development agency for arts and creativity - How effective is it in delivering this role? What does it do well and what could it improve? - [free text box]

Question 9: Since 2011 this has included being the development agency for museums and libraries - How effective is ACE in delivering its relatively new responsibilities in relation to libraries and museums? What does it do well? In what ways could it improve its effectiveness? - [free text box].

Question 10: What should ACE’s role be in promoting and supporting technological innovation across the arts and culture sectors, and can you share any thoughts on its visibility in this regard? - [free text box].

Survey questions - activity and decision making

Question 11: When applying for grant funding from Arts Council England, to what extent do you agree with the following statements:

  • 11.1. ACE staff are responsive and helpful and work collaboratively with me to ensure my application is as strong as possible
  • 11.2. The guidance and instructions provided by ACE staff are clear and easy to understand
  • 11.3. The guidance and instructions on ACE’s website are easy to find and easy to understand
  • 11.4. ACE staff are knowledgeable and understand the specific needs of the sectors and regions in which they work
  • 11.5. The resources required to engage in the application process are proportionate

All with the following options to choose from:

  • Strongly disagree
  • Disagree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Agree
  • Strongly agree
  • Don’t know

Question 12: Please choose three priority areas where ACE could improve its grant application process.

  • Issuing guidance on application criteria
  • Application support
  • Online application form
  • Decision making process
  • Timing of receiving decision
  • Application feedback
  • Receiving initial payment arrangement

Question 13: What do you think of the level of data and information requested by ACE in proportion to the amount of funding being applied for?

  • Far too little
  • Not quite enough
  • Just right
  • A little too much
  • Far too much

Question 14: ACE’s funding decisions are…

  • Based on clear evidence
  • Reflective of community needs
  • Reflective of national priorities and needs
  • Transparent in rationale
  • Consistent in approach

All with options to choose from:

  • Strongly disagree
  • Disagree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Agree
  • Strongly agree

Question 15: How clear is ACE in communicating, including when sharing the results and reasons for its funding decisions to applicants?

Please choose:

  • Very unclear
  • Somewhat unclear
  • Neither clear nor unclear
  • Somewhat clear
  • Very clear
  • Do not know

Question 16: Please rate your agreement with the following statements:

  • 16.1. ACE clearly defines the intended outcomes and impacts of its funding programmes
  • 16.2. ACE collects relevant data to measure the actual outcomes and impacts achieved
  • 16.3. ACE transparently reports on the demonstrated impacts of its investments
  • 16.4. The information ACE provides about its impacts is easy for the public to understand
  • 16.5. ACE’s approach to measuring and communicating impact is effective in holding the organisation accountable

All with the following options to choose from:

  • Strongly disagree
  • Disagree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Agree
  • Strongly agree
  • Don’t know

Question 17: What, if anything, do you think ACE could do to better measure and communicate its impact? - [free text box]

Survey questions - working relationships and partnerships

Question 18: Based on your experience or knowledge, please rate the following aspects of Arts Council England’s engagement with local stakeholders:

  • 18.1. ACE’s efforts to actively engage with regional stakeholders and other relevant Public Bodies / organisations
  • 18.2. ACE’s efforts to actively involve local organisations, and community groups in decision-making
  • 18.3. ACE’s incorporation of local stakeholder input when setting funding priorities and program designs
  • 18.4. ACE’s transparency in communicating how local stakeholder feedback influences its decisions
  • 18.5. ACE’s efforts to engage with diverse communities including in deprived areas

All with the following options to choose from:

  • Very poor
  • Poor
  • Average
  • Good
  • Excellent
  • Don’t know

Question 19: Are there ways that ACE could improve engagement and responsiveness to local communities? - [free text box]

Question 20: ACE Relationship Managers are often the first and most important port of call for organisations in receipt of ACE funding. If relevant to you, how would you describe your experience working with your ACE Relationship Manager?- [free text box]

Question 21: Based on your experience or knowledge, please rate the following aspects of Arts Council England’s collaboration and knowledge sharing:

  • 21.1. How effective is ACE at cooperating and sharing knowledge with the United Kingdom’s Arts Councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
  • 21.2. How effective is ACE in fostering international collaboration, and promoting British art and culture abroad?
  • 21.4. How effective is ACE at working with other agencies and bodies in the creative sector to promote and enhance the UK’s creative capabilities?
  • 21.5. How effective is ACE at working with and bringing different institutions and organisations together to support arts and creativity in places?

All with the following options to choose from:

  • Very ineffective
  • Ineffective
  • Neither effective nor ineffective
  • Effective
  • Very effective
  • Don’t know

Survey questions - Arts Council England and government

Question 22: How much involvement should the national government have in the work of ACE?

  • Limited involvement
  • Some involvement
  • Moderate involvement
  • A lot of involvement
  • Maximum

Question 23: How much involvement should local governments have in the work of ACE?

  • Limited involvement
  • Some involvement
  • Moderate involvement
  • A lot of involvement
  • Maximum

Question 24: How much influence should each level of government have in funding decisions?

  • 24.1. Local government e.g. local councils
  • 24.2. Regional government e.g. Mayoral / Combined Authorities
  • 24.3. National government

All with the following options to choose from:

  • No influence at all
  • Nearly no influence
  • Moderate influence
  • Near total influence
  • Total influence
  • Don’t know.

Question 25: How effectively does the government hold ACE to account?

  • Very ineffectively
  • Quite ineffectively
  • Neither effectively nor ineffectively
  • Quite effectively
  • Very effectively

Survey questions - future development

Question 26: What is the biggest challenge facing the arts and cultural sector in the next 10 years? - [free text box]

Question 27: What are the most important things Arts Council England should focus on?- [free text box]

Question 28: What changes would you like to see regarding ACE?- [free text box]

Survey questions - statutory functions

Question 29: Does Arts Council England carry out its statutory function to operate and maintain Acceptance in Lieu effectively, and do you have any thoughts on how it could improve? - [free text box]

Question 30: Does ACE carry out its statutory function to administer the Cultural Gifts Scheme effectively, and do you have any thoughts on how it could improve? - [free text box]

Question 31: Does ACE carry out its statutory function to administer the Government Indemnity Scheme effectively, and do you have any thoughts on how it could improve? - [free text box]

Question 32: Does ACE manage the process of licensing for cultural goods (including those judged to be of outstanding national importance, and therefore subject to deferral) effectively, and do you have any thoughts on how it could improve? - [free text box]

There are opportunities to provide further information in additional free text boxes throughout the survey. Please do not leave any unnecessary personal data that could identify you.

Privacy notice

Who is collecting my data?

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) are the recipients and holders of the data collected through completion of the ACE Review Survey.

The survey is built on the Qualtrics survey system, a third-party online survey system licensed by DCMS. Qualtrics will also hold the data provided up to 90 days after DCMS deletes the survey from the Qualtrics system.

This survey is being carried out to provide evidence as part of the review of Arts Council England, and will be analysed, alongside other forms of evidence gathering, to inform the outcomes of the review and its recommendations.

Purpose of this Privacy Notice

This notice is to explain your rights and give you the information you are entitled to under the Data Protection Act 2018 and United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (“the Data Protection Legislation”). This notice sets out how we will use your personal data.

The DCMS Secretary of State has instructed the Department to undertake a review of ACE. Public Bodies are regularly reviewed to ensure they meet the government’s vision of public bodies that are accountable, effective, efficient, and aligned to the government’s priorities.

The ACE ReviewTeam is initiating this survey as a form of evidence gathering. The purpose of the survey is to enable the review to collect evidence from the vast breadth of ACE stakeholders and interested parties within an efficient timeframe for the review.

The survey questions are based on the reviews Terms of Reference.

What is personal data?

Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural living person, otherwise known as a ‘data subject’. A data subject is someone who can be recognised, directly or indirectly, by information such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier, or data relating to their physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity. These types of identifying information are known as ‘personal data’. Data protection law applies to the processing of personal data, including its collection, use and storage.

What personal data do we collect?

The personal information we will collect and process is provided to us directly by you through your responses to the survey. The personal information we are collecting through the survey include:

  • The region you are based - this will help us to build a picture of views from across England.
  • Relationship(s) with ACE - this will help us to understand any existing or previous relationship with ACE, including:
    • Whether or not you/your organisation have/has ever or are currently in receipt of ACE funding
    • Whether or not you have ever been employed by ACE, and if so, the sector you worked in
  • The name of the organisation that you work for, should you choose to provide it

Responses will be anonymised.

DCMS will only have access to an anonymised data set that will hide your IP address, location data and contact information, as this personal information may identify you.

By default the Qualtrics Survey system will store your browsing data such as your IP address in the form of internet cookies. A description of how Qualtrics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect and store information is available in their cookie statement, which opens in a new window.

The survey uses different ways to collect information from you such as multiple choice drop down boxes. Other parts of the survey allow you to put information into free text boxes which allow you to put your responses into your own words. It is important that you do not put any information that can personally identify you in the free text responses, which would mean that your survey response may not be anonymous.

How we will use your data

We will use your data to collect evidence that informs the outcomes of the review and its recommendations. DCMS may choose to publish data tables that show high-level data using responses from this survey, where it is appropriate to do so. The data tables will not identify individuals or organisations who have responded to the survey.

To process this personal data, our legal reason for collecting or processing this data is: Article 6(1)(e) it is necessary to perform a public task (to carry out a public function or exercise powers set out in law, or to perform a specific task in the public interest that is set out in law):

There are further requirements for processing more sensitive, or ‘special category’, personal data. You can find out more about these bases for processing personal data by consulting the Information Commissioner’s Office. This survey does not seek to collect special category data.

What will happen if I do not provide this data?

Your views and opinions will not be considered as part of the Arts Council England Review

Who will we share your data with?

We will be using Qualtrics, an online survey platform to carry out this survey. You can find out more about how Qualtrics may use your personal information by reading the Qualtrics Privacy Statement.

Your personal data will not be sent overseas.

How long we will keep the data

The data provided will be held only until the completion of the review. This is so that DCMS is able to analyse the responses to fully inform our review of Arts Council England and any subsequent work undertaken by the Department to enact the reviews recommendations. The information you provide will be anonymised before inclusion in any reports, and you will not be identifiable.

Your personal data will be stored in a secure government IT system and on the Qualtrics online survey platform.

After completion of the review, all data will be deleted from both DCMS systems and Qualtrics. Qualtrics commit to delete all backups of said data for disaster recovery purposes within 90 days.

Will my data be used for automated decision making, or profiling or Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

AI is an umbrella term for a range of technologies and approaches that often attempt to mimic human thought to solve complex tasks. Things that humans have traditionally done by thinking and reasoning are increasingly being done by, or with the help of, AI.

We will use large language models (LLMs) to process free-text responses. LLMs are Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems trained on vast amounts of text data. They can understand and generate human-like text for various tasks such as answering questions, writing content, and translating languages. While very capable at processing and producing language, they operate based on pattern recognition and prediction. These models will help DCMS to understand the emerging themes and evidence from the survey results. There will be no additional data sharing considerations as a result of using these models.

What are your data protection rights?

You have rights over your personal data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018). The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the supervisory authority for data protection legislation, and maintains a full explanation of these rights on their website

DCMS will ensure that we uphold your rights when processing your personal data.

How do I complain?

Data Controllers Title: The ACE Review Team

Data Controllers Address:

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport
100 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2BQ

Data Controllers: Email address: enquiries@dcms.gov.uk. Please direct questions about the review to the Review Team via the DCMS enquiries mailbox.

The contact details for the data controller’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) are:

Data Protection Officer
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport
100 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2BQ

Email: dpo@dcms.gov.uk

If you’re unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data and want to make a complaint, please write to the department’s Data Protection Officer or the Data Protection Manager at the relevant agency. You can contact the department’s Data Protection Officer using the details above. Should you wish to make contact, please make clear in the subject line or the top of your correspondence that it is regarding participation in the ACE review survey.

You can find out more in the DCMS Personal Information Charter

How to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office

If you believe that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. You may also contact them to seek independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing.

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

Changes to our privacy notice

We may make changes to this privacy policy. In that case, the ‘last updated’ date at the bottom of this page will also change. Any changes to this privacy policy will apply to you and your data immediately.

If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, DCMS will take reasonable steps to let you know.

This notice was last updated on 20/02/2025.

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