An independent review of Arts Council England, led by Baroness Margaret Hodge and supported by an expert Advisory Panel drawn from across the creative and cultural sectors, has now been published.

This significant review offers a rigorous examination of ACE’s structures, decision‑making processes, and future direction at a pivotal moment for the UK’s cultural landscape.

Its findings and recommendations are set to shape national conversations about equity, accountability, and the long‑term sustainability of the arts—issues that resonate deeply across the North West’s creative ecology.

We are happy that the report concludes that, amongst many other things, the Government must retain the Arts Council and that it must maintain and strengthen the ‘Arm’s Length Principle’ at all levels of government to ensure that arts funding is protected from politicisation and the Arts Council must rigorously uphold that principle.

Read the full report here.