I chair the All Party Parliamentary Group on Visual Arts and Artists and I was pleased to welcome Peter Heslip from Arts Council England to hear about changes they are making following the independent review by Baroness Hodge.

I hear from many artists and organisations about the difficulties applying for funding through the Arts Council due to the volume of information requested and cumbersome forms, lack of transparency in decision making, and geographical inequality.

It was good to hear from Peter that they have embraced the recommendations of the review and are overhauling the application platform to make the process simpler, focus on creative ambition, fewer information requests, and make it user friendly. They are also making it easier for individuals to apply as well as offering advice, training and skills support.

The Arts Council is working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to grow investment in arts and culture, fund galleries and projects around the country, and promote the significant economic benefits of the sector – contributing around £124 billion!

Arts and culture are for everyone and I’ll continue working with the APPG, government, and other organisations to support artists and creative industries both in the constituency and nationally.