Voluntary arts

The voluntary sector is key to achieving Government objectives in many areas, especially social objectives such as community building and social inclusion. It is predominantly voluntary sector organisations with considerable professional expertise, rather than national subsidised institutions, that reach out to make connections in order to bring in excluded sections of society. The contribution of arts based Voluntary and Community Organisations (VCOs) is significant. VCOs exist to deliver life-enhancing and life-changing experiences through participation.

The voluntary sector has socially significant positive effects and the voluntary arts are not simply a means of developing an audience for the professional sector but an opportunity for active participation. Although the professional commercial and subsidised arts sectors are larger in terms of revenue, the voluntary arts sector is larger in terms of participants. The NCA advocated for the voluntary arts sector in an NCA delegation to the Arts Minister, Baroness Blackstone, in 2002 and in a response to the DCMS consultation document, 'A Giving Culture', in 2005.

Issues raised included sectoral research, infrastructure, support, partnerships and capacity building, leadership, training, accreditation and learning opportunities, sustainability and access to funding, and the effects of devolution and ACE practice on the sector.

The importance of the voluntary arts sector was also highlighted in the NCA's influential Arts Manifesto in 2005.

DCMS consultation, 'A Giving Culture', 2005

NCA Voluntary Arts delegation, 2002

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