Arts sector demands answers over funding of Wise Children

Arts Council England (ACE) has been forced to defend its decision to offer four-year funding to Emma Rice’s new theatre company, Wise Children, after an article criticising the move caused a Twitter storm.

The article, posted on ArtsProfessional on Thursday, called into question ACE’s decision to approve an application for national portfolio funding for the company, which was officially formed just nine days before funding bids had to be registered with ACE, and for which Rice is the sole Director.

The piece by AP journalist Christy Romer also challenged the legitimacy of the organisation being based in the South West, since it was officially registered in London and has announced it will be resident at London’s Old Vic theatre from 2018.

Rice, who previously led the Cornwall-based Kneehigh theatre company, set up Wise Children after artistic differences drove her to announce her departure from Shakespeare’s Globe just six months after she was appointed as Artistic Director. She is due to leave and focus on Wise Children from April 2018.

ACE has since refuted the claim it gives “additional assistance” to applicants based on “who they are, or the Arts Council’s relationship with them” and has asserted Wise Children will be working out of an office based in the South West by April 2018.

The funder also defended the transparency of its funding process, but refused to answer AP’s questions about its assessment of Wise Children’s bid.

Wise Children was registered with Companies House on 4 January, just nine days before ACE’s 13 January deadline for National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) applications to be registered and after it held a ‘mandatory conversation’ with the funder, discussing the company’s finance and management.

It received a £14.5k Grants for the Arts award from ACE for “organisational development” in May and was offered NPO status with a £475k annual grant in June.

An astronomical application

The article – which became the most-read article in AP history within 24 hours of being posted – asked how a credible funder could judge the organisation to have fulfilled the financial and management criteria required of a ‘Band 2’ NPO when it had no track record.

“The whole saga shows how abhorrent and absurd the process of getting funding remains. There are, and always have been, two sets of rules: one for those with friends at the Arts Council, and one for those without,” Romer wrote.

“Would other bold artists, who hadn’t been blessed with the oxygen of publicity, be successful with a similarly astronomical application?”

ACE posted a response to the article after facing a maelstrom on Twitter. The funder said it “emphatically rejects” the assertion that “there are different rules for applicants to our funding programmes according to how well known they might be to Arts Council staff”.

Our response to this article can be found here: https://t.co/R6hlwFDE8M, thanks

— Arts Council England (@ace_national) July 28, 2017

“We have in place a rigorous and equitable application and assessment process that applies across the organisation and which is open, accountable, auditable and transparent,” it continued.

But in response to questions from AP, ACE refused to comment on whether the fact Wise Children had just one director was considered a risk during the assessment of its funding application.

It said it would be negotiating the terms of Wise Children’s funding agreement and this would include “an effective organisational structure,” but would not share details of any conditions it placed on the company in relation to its governance.

A perfect home

Wise Children has described itself as “firmly and deeply rooted in the South West,” but on announcing the company’s residency at The Old Vic, Rice said it was “the perfect first home for my company and for our inaugural production”.

In a blog post shared by Wise Children on Monday, Rice addressed some of the issues raised in Romer’s article. “Where we eventually put down our bags and find a physical base is to be discovered over the coming years,” she wrote, “but one thing is sure – it is South West all the way.”

She added: “All national touring companies seek a London home for their work, and Wise Children has been fortunate to find this key relationship.”

The company has committed to staging two productions at the Old Vic, beginning with an adaptation of Angela Carter’s novel ‘Wise Children’, which will open the 2018/19 season.

Romer commented that the South West location contributed to “the big splash the national funder made about ‘investing £170 million more outside of London’”.

In its statement, ACE said: “While rooted in the South West, Wise Children will have a national significance and London is an important part of that national picture. So we are pleased that Wise Children are embarking on an exciting residency at The Old Vic, although that is not an aspect of our funding to them.”

Following the publication of the article, Wise Children’s registered address was updated to an apparently residential address in Bristol.

ACE confirmed Wise Children will work out of a South West base by April 2018 and added: “The focus of Wise Children’s education work, as laid out in their application, will also be in the South West.”

A Twitter storm

Many took to Twitter to show support for the arguments expressed in the article and to voice outrage.

Chris Tindall wrote: “This story has been making me angry since I first read it.” While Daniel York commented that ACE “seem to have some very malleable criteria depending on who’s in the know”.

This can't be tweeted/shared enough frankly. @ace_national seem to have some very malleable criteria depending on who's in the know https://t.co/EZKpoyYT2D

— daniel york (@danielfyork) July 28, 2017

But some, including Kirsty Cotton, were moved to defend Rice and the Arts Council’s decision. “Pretty fed up with hearing people tear down Emma Rice – why not celebrate her success,” she asked in a tweet.

“ACE have been clear that they will invest in individuals with an exceptional track record – less often, but they will.”

ACE have been clear that they will invest in individuals with an exceptional track record – less often, but they will.

— Kirsty Cotton (@kirstycotton) July 27, 2017

In his article, Romer emphasised his concerns were no reflection on the quality of Rice’s work. “This has nothing to do with the art, and everything to do with the Arts Council,” he wrote.

“Even if Wise Children becomes the best, boldest and brashest theatre company of all time, its acceptance into the portfolio makes a mockery of the entire arts funding system.”