Dance Mapping - Arts Council England

‘Excellent culture takes and combines complex meanings, gives us new insights and new
understandings of the world around us and is relevant to every single one of us. It is why
culture is so important to societies that flourish. If culture is excellent it can help us make
sense of our place in the world, ask questions we would not otherwise have asked,
understand the answers in ways we couldn’t otherwise have understood and appreciate
things we have never before experienced.’ McMaster defines excellence in culture as that
which ‘… occurs when an experience affects and changes an individual. An excellent cultural
experience goes to the root of living’.
In his recommendations McMaster suggests better use of peer review, focussing on objective
judgements on excellence, innovation and risk-taking and new systems of assessment to
ensure organisations are developing and delivering excellence in their work. He also believes
that there must be greater diversity in the work and that this will make it relevant to the 21 st
century. He felt that internationalism was also essential to achieve and maintain what he
describes as our ‘world-class status’.
The report continues with ideas for the involvement of artists on boards and a senior group
advising on recruitment. McMaster talks about the importance of cultural education, audience
engagement and touring excellent work. He believes financial stability is vital in supporting
risk and innovation and goes so far as to suggest at least ten organisations being given 10-
year funding for this purpose. The aspect of the report of most interest to this section of the
research is that which helps organisations deliver world class art. McMaster states that,
‘above all else I want to see every funding body and every cultural organisation, every artist
and every practitioner given the chance to fulfil their potential. I want to see them striving to
be as creatively ambitious as they can and being absolutely confident in their ability to change
people’s lives’.
The Arts Council England Dance Conversations referred to above provided a useful forum for
sharing the thinking behind the McMaster report. Alistair Spalding of Sadler’s Wells and Stella
Hall from Culture 10, Newcastle Gateshead, both spoke at separate conversations about
excellence.
Alistair Spalding spoke of Sadler’s Wells’ own conversations with leading artists; these are
broadcast on screens in the theatre’s circulation spaces and on the website and the Sadler’s
Wells player. He spoke eloquently about an interview with Bill Forsythe, the American
choreographer. He said that Bill spoke about perfection rather than excellence,
acknowledging how much of himself goes into the making of a work seeking that perfection.
He felt many great artists did this and quoted Pina Bausch who puts herself completely into
her work. She manages a large repertoire as well as creating fresh, new work.
Stella Hall talked about the qualities of excellence which included; rising above the ordinary,
tenacity, flexibility, wide-ranging experiences, trying new things, fearlessness, openness to
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