Wigmore Hall, one of London’s leading classical music venues, has announced it will stop accepting funding from Arts Council England due to concerns over excessive bureaucracy and a strategy that it believes fails to prioritize artistic excellence.
The venue, which received £344,000 from the Arts Council in 2024, stated it could no longer support the current funding system. Director John Gilhooly criticized the system, saying: “The current policy is just too onerous, and they seem to have no interest in what’s happening on the stage, or in the great artists of the world.”
In response, the Arts Council emphasized that funding recipients must demonstrate they provide excellent value to the public, adding that it remains committed to promoting creative excellence.
However, Mr. Gilhooly expressed dissatisfaction with the Arts Council’s approach. He argued that the Council’s strategy, called Let’s Create, prioritizes grassroots and community projects over established artists, which he feels does not align with Wigmore Hall’s mission. “We work with a community choir, but you can’t judge it using the same standards as you would the world’s top artists, just as you wouldn’t compare the English football team with an amateur team,” he explained.
Despite withdrawing from the funding program, Mr. Gilhooly assured that Wigmore Hall would continue its outreach initiatives. The venue works with marginalized communities and people living with dementia, and these programs will remain a priority. However, he criticized the bureaucratic demands of the Let’s Create strategy, saying they drain energy and take up significant staff time.
“We have to go through this whole process every quarter to ensure we’ve ticked every box. It takes up so much staff time and energy,” he added. “We’re parting on good terms, but it’s time for us to move on.”
Wigmore Hall had launched a fundraising campaign last year to become more financially independent and has already met its £10m goal, surpassing expectations. “The interest from the £10m covers what the Arts Council gave us,” Mr. Gilhooly said, noting that the rapid success of the campaign shows the frustration within the classical music community regarding the Arts Council’s approach.
In response, a spokesperson for Arts Council England stated that they support organizations that no longer require public investment and wish them success. They reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the fairness of cultural opportunities across the country, acknowledging that some communities still lack access to quality cultural experiences.
“Arts Council England is absolutely committed to creative excellence across all the arts, museums, and libraries we invest in,” the spokesperson said. “However, excellent cultural opportunities are still denied to too many people in this country, and that’s an issue we must address.”
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