Arts Council England to update ‘activist statements’ guidance after backlash

This article was first published by the Guardian.

Arts Council England (ACE) has announced it will update guidance warning that “political statements” could break funding agreements, after a backlash from the arts and culture sector.

A series of recent updates to ACE policies had advised organisations that it funds to be wary of “overtly political or activist” statements made in a personal capacity by people linked to them.

But the updates were met with fury from artists, writers and musicians including Matt Haig, Robert Macfarlane, Feargal Sharkey and Nikita Gill.