Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND

Registered charity 1036733 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q3400795 · Wikipedia · also known as ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND

Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people's lives. As the national development agency for the arts we support a range of artistic activities, acting as an independent body at arm's length from government. 'Achieving great art for everyone' is our 10-year strategic framework for the arts.

Objects

(1) TO DEVELOP AND IMPROVE THE KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING AND PRACTICE OF THE ARTS. (2) TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE ARTS TO THE PUBLIC IN ENGLAND; AND (3) TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC AND TO FURTHER ANY OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSE WHICH RELATES TO THE ESTABLISHMENT, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES (WHICH ARE EITHER PUBLIC OR FROM WHICH THE PUBLIC MAY BENEFIT) AND TO THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY; AND(4) TO ADVISE AND CO-OPERATE, WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE TO DO SO, WITH DEPARTMENTS OF OUR GOVERNMENT, OUR SCOTTISH AMINISTRATION, THE NORTHERN IRELAND EXECUTIVE AND THE WELSH MINISTERS, LOCAL AUTHORITIES, THE ARTS COUNCILS AND EQUIVALENT ORGANISATIONS IN THE MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES SECTOR IN SCOTLAND, WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND (OR THEIR SUCCESSORS) AND OTHER BODIES ON ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THE OBJECTS IN (1), (2) AND (3) ABOVE.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Arts/culture/heritage/science · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Manchester, North West, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£843.1m
Latest spending
£731.1m
Registered
1994
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity received £1,234 million in Grant-in-Aid and £254 million from the National Lottery Distribution Fund for the year ended 31 March 2025. Per the trustees' report, the charity has a surplus of £2.8 million and maintains sufficient liquid resources to cover projected payments, with no material uncertainties identified regarding its ability to continue as a going concern.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: Grant-in-Aid (100% of income)
“99.62 per cent of funding is sourced through cash drawn down and agreed monthly with the DCMS”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Comptroller and Auditor General (Gareth Davies). Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 66 (£60,001–£70,000: 34; £70,001–£80,000: 7; £80,001–£90,000: 7; £90,001–£100,000: 10; £100,001–£110,000: 1; £120,001–£130,000: 4; £130,001–£140,000: 2; £150,001–£200,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for acting as trustee
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 56 (£60,001–£70,000: 30; £70,001–£80,000: 9; £80,001–£90,000: 7; £90,001–£100,000: 9; £140,001–£150,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for acting as trustee
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 45 (£60,001–£70,000: 17; £70,001–£80,000: 7; £80,001–£90,000: 11; £90,001–£100,000: 2; £110,001–£120,000: 6; £120,001–£130,000: 1; £130,001–£140,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for acting as trustee
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Property (HM Land Registry)

8 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (4 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£843.1m
Total spending
£731.1m
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
704

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 2.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (69% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£843.1m£731.1m
31/03/2024£803.1m£756.3m
31/03/2023£795.7m£989.6m
31/03/2022£941.8m£952.6m
31/03/2021£1488.5m£1419.6m

Common questions

Is THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity received £1,234 million in Grant-in-Aid and £254 million from the National Lottery Distribution Fund for the year ended 31 March 2025. Per the trustees' report, the charity has a surplus of £2.8 million and maintains sufficient liquid resources to cover projected payments, with no material uncertainties identified regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Comptroller and Auditor General (Gareth Davies).

Who funds THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND as a grant recipient include THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITED, ST ANDREWS WITH CASTLE GATE NOTTINGHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITY, THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
YORK MUSIC HUBFY2025Unverified read£30.8mCore and Extension roles according to the National Plan for Music Education
THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2021£540kCreativity Collaboratives
THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2023£324kCreativity Collaboratives
THE FREELANDS FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2022£216kCreativity Collaboratives
DEVELOPMENTS IN LITERACY UK (UK)FY2023Unverified read£10kArts funding and development
ST ANDREWS WITH CASTLE GATE NOTTINGHAM UNITED REFORMED CHURCH CHARITYFY2022£2kArt Council grant mosaic
THE ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSICFY2021amount not statedGrant (Expenditure only, no new grant received/paid out as income in this context, but note 12 shows expenditure related to a grant. However, the prompt asks fo

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
UK government01/04/2020£50kALB-Historic England-Securing the Future of Archaeological Archives in England: Investigation & Options Appraisal
The National Lottery Community Fund22/11/2006£4kChances 4 Change
The National Lottery Heritage Fund07/10/2005£20k"Telling Images: Stories of a Community"

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION1£2.0m
THE FOYLE FOUNDATION1£798k
NESTA1£324k
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST1£314k
THE BAND TRUST1£100k
THE JOHN BOOTH CHARITABLE FOUNDATION1£45k
NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND1£40k
THE BARBARA WARD CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION1£35k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE ARTS COUNCIL OF ENGLAND£843.1m——unclear—no doubt
NATIONAL ART COLLECTIONS FUND FY2025£18.3m——within—no doubt
THE ARTS FOUNDATION FY2025£80k—0unclear—no doubt
CAMPAIGN FOR THE ARTS FY2025£129k—0within—no doubt
ARTS FOR ALL FY2025£198k—0unclear—no doubt
THE CREATIVE ART HOUSE FY2025£854k—0below—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.