Archived decisions

ARTS OFFICE REVIEW

1. Hampshire County Council's Arts Office is one of the largest arts services in the country. It is a highly respected service with a national reputation and high profile both within the region and nationally. However, the Arts Office has never been the subject of a review and it was felt a review was needed to align the work of the Arts Office more closely to the Corporate Priorities and Hampshire's Cultural Strategy.

2. The Arts Office Review started in April 2004 and continued throughout the rest of 2004. A consultant, with wide experience of arts organisations and arts issues generally, was commissioned to help with the review and to come up with recommendations on the best way forward.

3. The Executive Member and the Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee have considered a report on the Review and have approved the changes in the structure and management arrangements advocated in it. The main changes are the creation of a new post of Head of Hampshire's Arts Service to provide unified leadership and a vision for the Arts Office, development of a vision into a new Arts Strategy, the changing of the name of the Arts Office to the Arts Service, and the setting up of a Special Members' Panel to work with officers to consider the key issues and main recommendations resulting from the Review. This Panel will be appointed after the elections in May 2005.