The following is a summary of the funding decisions for Architecture Centre Network and architecture centres.
Architecture centres have mixed incomes, primarily from public sector sources. In addition to Arts Council funding, they have been funded by, or deliver services for, English Heritage, Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery as well as RDA’s and local authorities. Some, but not all, had also been CABE funded, which was mainly project funding rather than core funding, and required 50% match funding.
Architecture Centre Network will not be part of Arts Council England’s National portfolio for 2012-2015.
‘The decision from the Arts Council not to include Architecture Centre Network in the portfolio is disappointing,’ says Bridget Sawyers, Chief Executive of Architecture Centre Network. ‘We will need to find alternative funding for the organisation over the next 12 months to continue to support the architecture centres in their mission to help people make better places.’
The Architecture Centre Network was established 10 years ago to support and develop the architecture and built environment centres across the UK. We, and the centres, have achieved a significant international profile, in addition to that in the UK.
Architecture Centres: Overall, architecture centres have been awarded £656,400.
The architecture centres which are Arts Council Regularly Funded Organisations and successfully applied to the Arts Council’s National portfolio for funding for 2012-2015 are:
- The Architecture Centre, Bristol (£54,250 average per year)
- The Architecture Foundation (£107,000 average per year)
- Northern Architecture (£50,000 per year)
Responses
The Architecture Centre, Bristol, responds: ‘We are delighted to receive this valuable contribution to our funding. We are pleased that the Arts Council supports our ambition to present the very best of architecture and design, and to demonstrate the very real cultural, social and economic benefits that good design brings.
‘We look forward to continuing our diverse and innovative programmes including our built environment education work with schools and young people, and to ongoing collaboration with partners in Bristol and the wider South West.
‘It is very disappointing for those architecture centres that were not successful and for the Architecture Centre Network (ACN) whose support is invaluable to us all. We will continue to work collaboratively with the ACN and other centres to advocate for good sustainable design and for built environment education.’
Brian Clarke, Chair of the Architecture Foundation, welcomed this news, saying: ‘We are absolutely delighted that the Arts Council has pledged to continue its support of The Architecture Foundation through 2015. We value ACE’s reconfirmed support both as a high-level endorsement of the quality and reach of our work and as a vital contribution to our core operating budget, which provides a balance and complement to our valued supporters from the private and charitable sectors.’
Northern Architecture are ‘pleased to be part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio, and pleased that they value our work in education, communities and design advice and skills and recognise our ‘strong niche role to play in the North East in its specific area of expertise particularly children and young people and public engagement in the arts’.’
The following architecture centres, which are Arts Council Regularly Funded Organisations, were unsuccessful in their applications to the Arts Council’s National portfolio for funding for 2012-2015:
- Beam
- The Building Exploratory
- MADE
- Open-City’s programme Art in the Open
Responses
Robert Powell, Creative Director of Beam, says: ‘We are of course very disappointed at the Arts Council’s decisions and concerned about any implications it might have for the Network and individual architecture centres. We hope that ACE appreciates the importance of our work and the rich relationship between the arts and the built environment, which needs to be nurtured and extended, not curtailed. It is important for the sustainability of the arts that they have strong relationships with other sectors. At Beam, we were not unprepared for this news and have been reviewing our business model for the past year. We are still funded by the Arts Council in 2011-12. We are a resilient company with an experienced team, lots to offer, and a range of exciting plans. We look forward to working with our partners and clients, including the Arts Council. We are not contemplating closure.’
Nicole Crockett, Chief Executive, The Building Exploratory, says, ‘We are disappointed that Arts Council England has take the decision not to continue funding the Building Exploratory. We are overwhelmed by demand from school and local education authorities who recognise the value of our programmes. Our emphasis on creative learning, alongside our focus on developing a sense of place with some of the most diverse and disadvantaged communities in the UK, has made us one of the pioneers of the Big Society.
‘Our extensive programme of engagement has consistently delivered real results, promoting local partnerships between schools, community groups and artists, and helping to nurture a shared appreciation of the local environment. The Building Exploratory has created an important model for many other organisations, demonstrating how to effectively engage with children and young people.
‘It is essential that significant progress is made to ensure that local people are involved in shaping sustainable communities in areas, like East London, that are undergoing radical change. We will continue to seek new partnerships and new sources of funding in order to continue developing and extending this important work.’
MADE comments: ‘We will continue to develop our educational and cultural programmes, working with artists, young people and built environment professionals to ensure that places are well-designed and suit the needs of local communities. We will continue to advocate for the role of artists in the public realm, showing how artist-architect collaborations contribute to place-making. We will continue our work with young people and schools through Arts Award, using the built environment as inspiration for young people’s arts practice and young people’s voice, for instance through programmes like Learning Spaces Living Places 2 part of Birmingham’s Building Schools for the Future programme.’
Victoria Thornton, Director of Open-City, says: ‘We are disappointed that Arts Council England has decided not to continue funding our Art in the Open programme. This was launched in 2007 as London’s advisor for art in the public realm, after winning a competitive tender process with Arts Council England, London. It is saddening that this initiative that has advised on so many art in the public realm schemes and guided many commissioners across London, may now be threatened to the detriment of London’s public realm, art, artists and architects.’
Peter Bishop, Chair of Architecture Centre Network, comments: ‘This is disappointing news that not all the architecture centres’ applications were successful. Architecture centres are uniquely placed to work at local level to shape plans and initiatives. At a time of public spending cuts they represent a very significant additional resource with local knowledge and wide professional networks. We will continue to promote their excellent work.’
The President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Ruth Reed, responded to these funding decisions: ‘Arts Council England’s support for architecture and arts-related architectural projects has steadily diminished ever since its decision to end funding for Architecture Week in 2008. The end now of funding for several valuable architecture centres will further reduce work across the country that raises public understanding of the vital role of architecture in people’s lives. Successful local planning relies on communities brought up to aspire to have good design in the built environment. Well done to the few remaining architecture centres receiving Arts Council funds; but yesterday’s announcement is yet further evidence of the disengagement of the Arts Council from one of our most crucial arts.’
Much of the architecture centres’ work involves artists and creative approaches to place making and visioning, including delivering public art commissioning and education programmes. They are arts organisations that engage with architecture and the built environment in the widest sense.
National portfolio funding:
The National portfolio funding programme will provide funding for a national portfolio of organisations from April 2012. It replaces Arts Council England’s regular funding programme, which will end on 31 March 2012.
1,333 arts organisations submitted an application to be part of the new portfolio, demonstrating how they think they can help fulfill the five goals set out in the Arts Council’s 10-year strategic framework, Achieving great art for everyone. The new National portfolio funding system will come into effect from April 2012 and replaces the Regularly funded organisations system, which currently provides funding to 850 arts organisations across the country.
Architecture Centre News: LINK
