Department for Culture Media and Sport
mcmaster review
Assessing excellence in the arts
In July 2007 James Purnell, the Secretary of State for Culture, asked Sir Brian McMaster, former Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, to undertake a review to report on:
- How the system of public sector support for the arts can encourage excellence, risk-taking and innovation
- How artistic excellence can encourage wider and deeper engagement with the arts by audiences
- How to establish a light touch and non-bureaucratic method to judge the quality of the arts in the future
The review involved artists, directors, curators, producers and administrators from across the country, and from across a wide variety of art forms. Sir Brian was supported by Nicola Thorold and staff from DCMS and Arts Council England.
A public consultation ran from 1 - 30 November 2007, the findings of which helped inform Sir Brian's thinking ahead of his final report to the Secretary of State. We would like to thank all those who contributed to the consultation for their valuable input.
You can read Sir Brian’s review in the publications section of this website.
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