Our offices are open! Come and visit us at Galerie Ravenstein, right next to the Central Station in Brussels.

United Kingdom / Verenigd Koninkrijk

1. Cultural policy

Cultural policy profile

Cultural policy profile of the United Kingdom in 7 thematic chapters, including additional information and resources

Government

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)

 

2. Official representations

Representation of United Kingdom in Belgium

Representation of Flanders in United Kingdom

General Representation of the Government of Flanders in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Flanders House
1A, Cavendish Square
London W1G 0LD
United Kingdom

3. About funding, cooperation and information centers

– Funding and cooperation

There are four arts councils in the UK, one per nation. Each of them is a member of IFACCA.

  • Arts Council England: Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. It aims to grow skills, knowledge and networks to help establish the conditions in which creativity and culture can flourish across the country. Part of its current strategy is to help the sector develop internationally, especially on the areas of interest of the arts council.
  • Arts Council of Northern Ireland: The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the development and funding agency for the Arts in Northern Ireland. It distributes public money and National Lottery funds to develop and deliver a wide variety of arts projects, events and initiatives across Northern Ireland.
  • Creative Scotland: Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. It distributes funding from the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.
  • Arts Council of Wales: Arts Council of Wales is the public body that funds and develops the arts in Wales. Wales Arts Internationalis the international agency of the Arts Council of Wales. It provides advice and support to artists and arts organisations from Wales who work internationally. It is also a contact point for international artists organisations and agencies working in or connecting with Wales.

 

– Information

  • British Council: The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. The British Council is a founding EUNIC member.
  • Information via On the Move country page: On the Move is the cultural mobility information network, providing information and knowledge for artists and cultural professionals active across borders. On this page, you can find all current calls related to the country as well as the latest version of the Cultural Mobility Funding Guide – and more.
  • Arts Infopoint UK: Part of the On the Move Mobility Information points, Arts Infopoint UK is a pilot initiative to support the arts sector with information on practical issues relating to cultural mobility (visa, work permits, and more). Focus is on incoming mobility, meaning to the UK.
  • Nesta: Nesta presents itself as the UK’s innovation agency for social good. It is a private foundation, which focuses among other topics on the creative economy and culture. Its work to demonstrate the economic and social importance of the arts and creative economy has led to policy and research initiatives, as well as direct investments in the sector with loans and funding schemes for innovation.

 

4. Other information portals and platforms

– All disciplines

  • British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA): BAFA is the national development agency for arts festivals, representing some 80 members across the UK. Check out the list of members for a good overview of festivals in all four UK nations.
  • Festivals Edinburgh: Building on a culture of collaborative working the Directors of the 11 festivals of Edinburgh came together in 2007 to formally establish Festivals Edinburgh as their own private company, with a mission to support Edinburgh’s Festivals in sustaining their position as a world’s leading festival city through – firstly, the development and delivery of collaborative projects and strategic initiatives: and secondly, acting on behalf of, and representing the collective strengths of, the Edinburgh Festivals.
  • Residencies: Overview of artist residency programmes in the UK on TransArtists – all disciplines

 

– Visual arts

  • a-n The Artists Information Company: a-n is the largest artists’ membership organisation in the UK with over 25,000 members. It supports artists and those who work with them in many practical ways, acting on behalf of its membership and the visual arts sector to improve artists’ livelihoods. A member of IAA / AIAP.
  • Arts Professional: Quality news and information service in the arts sector – for professionals. It has a great newsletter dedicated to job postings, and another one on professional development.
  • ArtQuest: Artquest supports visual artists at all stages of their careers. We provide free access to robust and trusted information and resources. We also carry out specialist research on artists’ livelihoods to produce insights that support the wider arts sector help artists meet their ambitions.
  • CAS: CAS – Contemporary Art Society donates works of modern and contemporary art to 72 member museums and public galleries in the UK, where they are enjoyed by over 21 million visitors a year. Over 10,000 works have been donated to public collections since our foundation in 1910 – from Bacon, Freud, Hepworth and Moore in their day through to the influential artists of our own times. The Contemporary Art Society is the Subject Specialist Network (SSN) for contemporary art in the UK, disseminating the latest knowledge and expertise for arts professionals through a year-round programme of workshops and conferences. Based in London, we raise income through an international network of patrons and private collectors, ensuring that funding for art is distributed for the benefit of the whole nation.
  • CVAN: CVAN – Contemporary Visual Arts Network England represents and supports a diverse and vibrant visual arts ecology throughout the nation. Through our support and advocacy work, we bring together artists, independent creative and technical professionals, higher education institutions, academics, students, National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) and organisations (including studio providers) with investment models that sit outside of Arts Council England’s NPO funding stream.
  • Iniva: Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) is an evolving, radical visual arts organisation dedicated to developing an artistic programme that reflects on the social and political impact of globalisation.
  • Art Business Info: Practical information for visual artists (shipping / exhibiting / transporting work)
  • DACS: Established by artists for artists, DACS is a not-for-profit visual artists’ rights management organisation. Passionate about transforming the financial landscape for visual artists through innovative new products and services, DACS acts as a trusted broker for 180,000 artists worldwide. It collects and distributes royalties to visual artists and their estates through Payback, Artist’s Resale Right, Copyright Licensing and Artimage.
  • ACS: The Artists’ Collecting Society (ACS) is the only Community Interest Company dedicated to the collection of the Artist’s Resale Right (ARR), or droit de suite, and copyright on behalf of artists and artists’ estates in both the UK and the EEA.
  • Crafts Council: National charity for crafts in the UK – supporting craft makers and businesses to help them grow in the UK and overseas, as well as presenting and promoting crafts, and organise advocacy and lobbying in the UK.
  • Creative UK: Independent network for the UK’s creative industries

 

– Performing arts

  • Equity: Equity is a union of more than 47,000 performers and creative practitioners, united in the fight for fair terms and conditions in the workplace. Equity takes part in FIA’s Dance Passport Scheme.
  • ITC Independent Theatre Council: ITC is the management association representing the independent performing arts sector (employers’ side). It is a community of over 450 companies and producers working in drama, dance, opera and musical theatre, mime and physical theatre, circus, puppetry, street arts and mixed media.
  • One Dance UK: One Dance UK is the sector support organisation leading the way to a stronger, more vibrant and diverse dance sector. It is a membership organisation, advocating for contemporary and classical dance in the UK.
  • Outdoor Arts UK: OutdoorArtsUK is a national membership and strategic organisation that aims to bring together the many diverse parts of the Outdoor Arts sector. It focuses on advocacy, commissioning reports and studies, as well as bringing the sector together. Once a year, it produces a large national conference for the sector to come together.
  • XTRAX: XTRAX is at the centre of UK outdoor arts. XTRAX has 20 years of experience of programming, managing, and delivering festivals and events in the UK and internationally.
  • UK Theatre: UK Theatre is the UK’s leading theatre and performing arts membership organisation. UK Theatre supports organisations and individuals in the performing arts at any stage of their career, through a range of training, events and other professional services. Check its website for guidance, resources, and more about the UK theatre industry.
  • Society of London Theatres SOLT: Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is an organisation that works with and on behalf of its Members to champion theatre and the performing arts in London. Its activities revolve around events, promotions and industry support. Check its members’ directory for an overview of theatres in London.
  • Federation of Scottish Theatre: Scotland’s membership and development body for professional dance, opera and theatre. Check its members’ directory for a good overview of Scottish performing arts organisations and practitioners

 

– Music

  • PRS for Music: PRS for Music is the home of the Performing Right Society (PRS) and the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS).
  • PRS Foundation: Charitable foundation from PRS for Music, PRS Foundation is a funder for new music and a supporter of talent development in the UK. It is a member of EMEE and On the Move.
  • Scottish Music Centre: The Scottish Music Centre is at the heart of the national music industry in all its forms. From preserving musical heritage with the ever-expanding archive, to representing contemporary composers and musicians, the SMC stands at the forefront.
  • Association of British Orchestra: The ABO represents the collective interests of professional orchestras, youth ensembles and the wider classical music industry throughout the UK. It is a member of PEARLE*.
  • Music Managers Forum: The MMF is the world’s largest professional community of music managers. Since its inception in 1992, the MMF has worked hard to educate, inform and represent UK managers as well as offering a network through which managers can share experiences, opportunities and information.
  • Musicians Union: Musicians’ Union is the UK trade union for all musicians representing over 30,000 members working right across the music industry.
  • ISM – Incorporated Society of Musicians: The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) is the UK’s professional body for musicians and a nationally recognised subject association for music. It supports over 11,000 members across the UK and Ireland with legal expertise, comprehensive insurance and specialist services
  • UK Music: UK Music is the collective voice of the UK’s world-leading music industry. We represent all sectors of our industry – bringing them together to collaborate, campaign, and champion music.

 

5. Regional organisations

  • BJCEM: Biennale des jeunes créateurs de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée is a solid network behind the Biennale, with 47 members ranging from cultural institutions to independent organizations, with partnerships throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, also with organizations and projects focused on the Mediterranean Diaspora.

 

6. Arts from Flanders in UK

Take a look at the BAR overview of organizations and individuals with activities in UK from 2016

Sign up to our (free) biweekly newsletter and stay updated on the latest developments.

I want to receive Flanders Arts Institute updates and news