Regional Arts Board
Encyclopedia
The Regional Arts Boards were arts
organisations in the regions of England
.
Regional Arts Boards were formed in 1990. Richard Wilding, a senior civil servant, was asked by his former Minister
to review the structure of regional arts support in England. Wilding’s report recommended setting up twelve English Regional Arts Associations with 10 Regional Arts Boards.
This changed the nature and structure of regional arts. These would be independent limited companies with some Local Authority representation on their management boards, but the democratic role and the link between subscription and governance was broken. Payment of a subscription did not guarantee a seat or a vote.
The ten new Regional Arts Boards lasted until 2002, when following an unexpected announcement in 2001, Arts Council England
(as it had become) absorbed them into a single new body, thus reverting to the policy of regional offices it had abandoned in the 1950s. The ten regions were also reduced to nine, bringing them into line with Regional Development Agency
areas.
The arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
organisations in the regions of England
Regions of England
In England, the region is the highest tier of sub-national division used by central Government. Between 1994 and 2011, the nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by elected bodies...
.
Regional Arts Boards were formed in 1990. Richard Wilding, a senior civil servant, was asked by his former Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
to review the structure of regional arts support in England. Wilding’s report recommended setting up twelve English Regional Arts Associations with 10 Regional Arts Boards.
This changed the nature and structure of regional arts. These would be independent limited companies with some Local Authority representation on their management boards, but the democratic role and the link between subscription and governance was broken. Payment of a subscription did not guarantee a seat or a vote.
The ten new Regional Arts Boards lasted until 2002, when following an unexpected announcement in 2001, Arts Council England
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
(as it had become) absorbed them into a single new body, thus reverting to the policy of regional offices it had abandoned in the 1950s. The ten regions were also reduced to nine, bringing them into line with Regional Development Agency
Regional Development Agency
In the United Kingdom, a regional development agency is a non-departmental public body established for the purpose of development, primarily economic, of one of England's Government Office regions. There is one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England...
areas.