Murmuration 2026: What we heard and what’s next
Members can watch recordings of all the keynote presentations in our Members’ Area
On 18 March 2026, we held our third annual summit, this time in partnership with the RSC, hosted at The Other Place. Building on our first summit in 2024, Collectively Strategising Culture, we once again came together to think about the future of the region’s cultural sector and our collective and individual roles within ‘our murmuration’.
We were pleased to hear from Baroness Margaret Hodge about the findings of her independent review of Arts Council England, which looked at ACE’s purpose, efficiency and role in the wider cultural ecosystem. The review took into account the views of over 700 people across the sector.
We were inspired by Selina Thompson, who spoke about the beauty, complexity and messiness of murmurations, and how we lead together in support of one another.
We spent time together reflecting on the Hodge Review and on what mattered most to us. We explored innovation and learned from innovators in other sectors.
We connected, explored new partnerships, and enjoyed the lovely Stratford-upon-Avon sunshine.
What we heard from Baroness Hodge:
We need an Arts Council that is truly arm’s length to ensure protection of artistic freedom, safeguard creativity, and retain the principles that underpin Let’s Create.
Arts Council England should enable both excellence and access to excellence.
The sector is grossly underfunded, and we should consider ways to increase investment through measures such as tax reliefs, endowments, philanthropy, and an ACE trading arm.
Simpler systems are needed, from application and evaluation through to reporting and future decision-making.
There is a need for increased local involvement and arts expertise in decision-making, as well as more support for individuals.
What we heard from you:
Simplifying and streamlining systems was a priority.
Localised decision-making was another priority.
Long-term financial stability and resilience are vital.
There are still significant concerns about workforce precarity, especially for individuals, and questions remain about how that support will be activated.
The sector is feeling fatigued but optimistic about reform to arts funding and cultural policy.
Many would have liked to see more transformational change.
What have ACE and DCMS said?
They have both accepted all the recommendations, with the priority being the development of a new strategic framework and the delivery of the next NPO round.
They will reduce the administrative burden on organisations and support them in setting their own KPIs.
There will be more place-based, co-created decision-making, not just with the sector but with communities.
They are focused on developing a new programme and relationships with and for individuals.
While they have accepted all the recommendations, ACE will need to prioritise depending on funding and capacity, and some things may not be possible.
Culture Central will be pulling together a response to Arts Council England and DCMS on behalf of our members, sharing practical solutions that will benefit the West Midlands. If you are a member and would like to contribute further to our response, please email your contribution to info@culturecentral.co.uk by 2nd June 2026.
We would like to thank our Leadership Associates, Cara Pickering and Kat Hughes, who have been instrumental in gathering your feedback and shaping our response.