Swagger Won't Fix England's Cultural Crisis — Real Reform Is Needed

What's Really at Stake

When Dawn Airey, the new chair of Arts Council England (ACE), declares her intent to 'get its swagger back', she echoes a refrain familiar in cultural circles: that confidence, visibility, and brand energy are the missing ingredients in our national arts infrastructure. But as I've witnessed firsthand through years of advocacy for the grassroots sector, this framing misses the core issue entirely.

Swagger is not what's missing — structural imbalance is.

The problem isn't one of attitude or self-promotion; it's a systemic failure that has plagued England's cultural landscape since its inception. Founded in 1946, ACE was designed with an architecture rooted in elitism, favoring classical music, opera, and established national institutions while systematically marginalizing emerging genres like jazz, folk, world music, brass, and choral works.

Legacy Architecture, Not Leadership

This isn't a matter of leadership failure — it's an institutional design flaw that has persisted for decades. Despite repeated reviews and audits — including the Margaret Hodge review in 2025 and the Review of Jazz in England — each report identifies bureaucratic inefficiencies, inconsistent decision-making, and governance opacity. Yet none of these documents confronts the deeper systemic issues: misuse of lottery funds, dominance by national portfolio organizations, regional disparities, and the erosion of grassroots infrastructure.

The Cost of Inaction

We're not talking about a few isolated failures here — we're discussing a consistent pattern. Every major review confirms that ACE's centralised model reproduces historical privilege and suppresses contemporary cultural expression. This isn't just an oversight; it's a design flaw embedded in the DNA of the organization.

Looking Abroad for Insight

International comparisons offer compelling evidence of better models. Countries like Ireland, Australia, and those in Scandinavia have built their cultural ecosystems on principles of devolved delivery, artist-centered funding, touring infrastructure, and integrated cultural-education policy. England lacks all these elements. The result? A cultural economy that is neither vibrant nor equitable.

What We Need Instead

It's time for a fundamental reimagining of how we support the arts in England. I propose a dual-pillar system:

1. Preservation of National Institutions: Safeguarding major cultural assets such as opera houses, symphony orchestras, and national galleries.
2. Grassroots Development Body: Creating a new dedicated body focused on grassroots arts and music with transparent allocation formulas, restored lottery funding, and art form-specific policy.

This model would also include:

• A national touring infrastructure to ensure artists can reach communities across England
• Direct investment in individual artists rather than just institutions
• Regional equity initiatives that redress historical imbalances
• Clear accountability mechanisms and open governance practices

A Call for Structural Reform

Swagger will not fix the crisis in England's cultural system. The answer lies in bold, structural reform that reorients funding, power, and access toward a more inclusive future. We must stop talking about confidence and start talking about justice — not just for opera houses, but for every musician, dancer, playwright, and artist working outside the mainstream.

The Path Forward

For too long, we have accepted that England's cultural life must be shaped by outdated structures and unresponsive leadership. It's time to challenge assumptions and demand better. Our cultural future depends on it.