“Arts Council England has postponed its multimillion-pound plan to grade the artistic quality of work using data,” writes Georgia Snow in Monday’s (7/10) The Stage (London). “The programme, Quality Metrics, was first announced last year, with the Arts Council putting out an invitation to tender for the contract in March. It is the largest external contract the funding body has ever issued, offering £2.7 million…. Quality Metrics will mean funded organisations must conduct self, peer, and public assessments through a survey, with the numbers being ascribed a numerical value. This will then be used to determine a ‘measure of quality’ of the art being assessed. The contract was due to run from May this year until March 2020, and details were expected last month. However, The Stage understands that this has now been delayed. ACE said it was ‘halting to review some aspects and consider [its] options’ for meeting the procurement process requirements.… ACE was unable to give any details on the timescale.… Current plans mean that all organisations receiving more than £250,000 will have to take part in the Quality Metrics scheme, with those receiving less also encouraged to adopt it.”
Posted July 13, 2017
