What the Hodge review of Arts Council England means for freelancers and small arts organisations
In 2024, the government asked Baroness Margaret Hodge to carry out an independent review of Arts Council England (ACE). The aim was to look at how ACE works, how it makes decisions, and whether it is supporting the arts sector fairly and effectively.
The review has now been published. It includes a wide range of recommendations for change, many of which are directly relevant to freelancers, independent artists, and small cultural organisations. These are groups that NECF works closely with and advocates for across the North East and beyond.
This blog summarises the key points from the review that matter most to those communities.
The Hodge Review recognises the importance of the Arms Length Principle, holding a buffer between politics and the Arts Council’s remit. This is encouraging..All art is political, but arts policy and funding strategy should not be swayed by party politics.
At a glance
Purpose: Assess Arts Council England’s role, funding structures, and impact.
Key Recommendations:
Retain ACE but reinforce its independence from political interference.
Establish regional/local boards to shape funding priorities.
Simplify application and reporting processes.
Introduce targeted support for freelancers and underrepresented groups.
Reform tax reliefs (theatre, orchestra, touring) and accelerate payments.
Double Gift Aid for activity outside London/South East.
Encourage philanthropy and explore a £250m endowment fund.
Replace prescriptive “Let’s Create” strategy with a more flexible framework.
Acknowledging the pressure on freelancers and small organisations
One of the strongest messages in the review is that ACE’s current systems place a heavy burden on smaller organisations and individuals.
The report recognises that:
Freelancers and small organisations often lack the time and resources to manage complex application and reporting processes.
Funding systems are largely designed around larger organisations with dedicated administrative staff.
Independent artists can struggle to find routes into public funding at all.
This reflects what NECF members tell us regularly: that navigating funding systems can feel overwhelming, especially alongside freelance work, caring responsibilities, or multiple short-term contracts.
Simplifying funding applications and reporting
Baroness Hodge recommends that ACE should simplify its funding processes and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.
This includes:
Making application forms shorter and clearer
Reducing reporting requirements where possible
Ensuring monitoring feels proportionate to the size of the grant
For freelancers and small organisations, this could mean spending less time on paperwork and more time on creative work, community engagement, and earning a living.
Moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach
The review suggests that ACE’s current national strategy has become too rigid and uniform. Instead, it recommends allowing organisations and individuals to define success in ways that reflect their own work and context.
This could benefit:
Independent artists with non-linear or experimental practices
Small organisations rooted in specific places or communities
Freelancers whose work does not fit neatly into standard categories
From an NECF perspective, this is an important step towards recognising the real diversity of creative work across regions like the North East.
A proposed programme for individual artists
One of the most significant recommendations for freelancers is the proposal for a new national programme focused on individual artists.
The review suggests:
Providing longer-term support for individual practitioners
Combining financial support with mentoring and development
Prioritising artists from lower-income backgrounds and underrepresented groups
While details are not yet confirmed, this type of programme could offer much-needed stability for freelancers at key points in their careers, particularly those who struggle to access project funding or organisational support.
More local decision-making
The review also recommends devolving more funding decisions to regional or local panels, involving people with direct knowledge of local cultural activity.
This could help:
Ensure funding decisions better reflect local needs and strengths
Improve access for smaller organisations outside London
Build stronger relationships between funders and local creative communities
For regions like the North East, this approach aligns with long-standing calls for fairer regional representation and locally informed decision-making. It is essential that in any implementation of the review recommendations, we enable a diverse set of Freelancers and Creatives to be part of this process in the North East. We will continue to work with Arts Council on these areas through our role on the Freelancer Circle and through our regional relationships.
Touring & access
The review recommends reviewing taxation relief around touring, as well as increasing gift aid and encouraging more philanthropy into arts and culture.
Tax relief reforms could support North East companies to tour nationally/internationally.
Doubling Gift Aid incentivises philanthropy in regions with fewer wealthy donors.
For regions like the North East, this opens up more opportunities for touring, however there are still challenges around Tax Relief delayed payments and cashflow, as well as the fact that the North East hosts less wealth and less philanthropic giving overall.
Let’s Create
The review also goes on to be critical of the Let’s Create Strategy, reporting that it is too restrictive and moves away from innovation and experimental practice. The review doesn’t criticise the underpinning ideas behind Let’s Create, but the implementation of the Strategy, stating that it stifles true creativity and opportunity for artistic ideas to thrive and participatory programmes to be fit for purpose.
We hope that any strategy review ensures equity and relevance remain at the core. Understanding that not all creative work need to be all things to all people, but that it must also take into consideration the context in which it is made. This is especially important where there is significant investment, and in places like the North East, where arts engagement through funded programmes remains low.
NECF are hopeful that any review of the strategy will take into consideration regional needs and engage with the wider cultural ecosystem.
What the review could mean in practice
If these recommendations are taken forward, freelancers and small organisations could see:
Clearer and more manageable funding processes
Greater recognition of individual creative practice
Improved access to support outside major institutions
A funding system that better reflects how the sector actually works
However, it is important to note that these are recommendations, not guarantees. Their impact will depend on how ACE and the government respond, and how changes are implemented in practice.
NECF’s perspective
NECF welcomes the review’s recognition of the challenges faced by freelancers and small organisations. Many of the issues raised reflect what we hear daily from our members.
As a network led by and for freelancers, NECF will continue to:
Advocate for fairer, simpler funding systems
Support independent artists to navigate change
Ensure regional freelance voices are part of national conversations
The government is expected to respond to the review in 2026. This will be a key moment for the sector, and for everyone working independently in the arts.
We will continue to lobby on behalf of the Freelancers in the North East, and work with Arts Council through our role on the Freelancer Circle and our relationships with the North Team.
