This month ITC participated in a round table discussion at the Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS). The purpose of the discussion was to provide feedback on the DCMS’s plan following the recommendations coming out of the Hodge review.

It was a good opportunity to discuss some key issues with the Minister, DCMS and with other sector leaders at this crucial time for the future of ACE and the performing arts.

The headlines of ITC’s views on the DCMS’s plan are:

• There is a need to create sustainable careers in the sector and pay people properly. It is important that public funds are used to support projects and companies with proper practices in place.  Whilst we support anything that widens opportunity and enables grass roots arts, there must not be an erosion of standards and proper working conditions in the sector.
• Project funding is essential for reaching a wide demographic and it is the best way of getting new practitioners into the system.
• ITC represents a sector where only 25% of our members are NPO’s the rest are project funded and are dependent on Arts Council England as an essential pillar of funding their work.  
• Grantium has been a much-criticised system and has caused big issues in our sector. Its failure has flagged the issue of how important project funding is and how essential a fluid, accessible transparent system is.
• For NPO funding there is a need to reduce bureaucracy, provide a longer period of funding, but with other types of funding available to support between NPO rounds and a need to recognise the importance of accountability while making it more rational.
• The investment principles are difficult to understand and they are rigid. They lack an understanding of the need for there to be flexibility for artist lead work.
• ITC are very concerned about touring. Touring is essential is enabling arts to reach all areas of our communities. Our sector is great at taking art out into the community, but they need support to make it financially viable.  Touring is the best way to reach people all over the UK and enable equal access to a quality artistic product.
• Theatre Tax Relief (TTR) has been a vital resource in supporting production and generating new work, but it needs to go further. A way needs to be found to enable tax relief to cover the costs of touring and remounts of work. As it stands it does not encourage a return on investment or a longer tour. It is also not available for free and outdoor work due to the need to show a paying audience. A mechanism needs to be found to enable outdoor work to claim TTR.
• ITC strongly supports DCMS and the Department of Education working together as taking artistic work to schools is incredibly important and it has been significantly eroded.
• Ultimately, the state of funding for the arts is in crisis and whilst we welcome a properly thought out strategy, we believe that there also needs to be an interim plan in place to address the current critical situation.

We welcome any constructive views from our members that we can advocate in future discussions. Please email advice@itc-arts.org