Skip to search COVID-19 UPDATE LATEST SUPPORT CLOSE Arts Council England Home About us Let's Create Explore the Investment Principles Explore the Investment Principles EXPLORE THE INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES APPLYING THE INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES Introduction In Let’s Create, our strategy for the next ten years, we introduce four Investment Principles: Ambition & Quality; Dynamism; Environmental Responsibility; and Inclusivity & Relevance. The Investment Principles are a family, interlinked and designed to be used together, informing the development of well-run, future facing organisations and individual creative practice. They are most effective when applied as a whole, but to help understand them, each Investment Principle is organised into three core features which provide you with the detail needed to help you apply them in your context. Many parts of the Investment Principles will feel familiar but using them will mark a culture change and we know that change will take time. The focus for cultural organisations and creative individuals right now is recovery, following the impact of Covid-19. We’re at the start of a journey of renewal, and we think the Investment Principles can help us all navigate the road ahead. If you want to apply to the Arts Council for funding in future, you should be aware we will use the Investment Principles as a framework for making investment decisions. We will share information about how this will work, but for now our main aim is to help you think and plan for the future. Take a look at our resource hub for the latest resources that we've developed to help you embed the Investment Principles in your organisation and activity. APPLYING THE INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES To learn more about the Investment Principles look out for further resources over the coming months. To ensure you get notified of new material, you can sign up to our newsletter. Ambition & Quality Ambition & Quality is about being ambitious and committed to improving the quality of your work. It involves understanding how you are perceived by those within and outside your immediate circle and how that fits with your plans and activities. It means ensuring your creative work clearly links to your wider aims and ambitions, and that you invest in professional development and work with partners to refine what you do. Crucially, it is about developing the best ways to measure and express what quality looks like for you. This all combines to form a continuous cycle of development to produce the high-quality work that will help achieve the vision of Let’s Create. Essential Read: AMBITION & QUALITY Dynamism The principle of Dynamism is about responding to the challenges of the next decade. It means having a business model that is flexible and able to adapt to changing environments. Dynamism is about understanding the value you create for the communities you serve, whilst considering the needs of those you are yet to reach. It requires investment in leadership and governance that inspires positive change and skilled teams and individuals who are inclusive, resilient and equipped to deal with change. It is supported by an approach that embeds technology appropriately across activities and uses evidence and data to inform decision making. Essential Read: DYNAMISM Environmental Responsibility The climate crisis and environmental degradation is one of the most significant challenges facing us all. The cultural sector has taken major steps to reduce its carbon footprint and more than ever artists and organisations are engaging with climate-related themes. Now, we are looking to support a move beyond environmental sustainability towards true environmental responsibility. This means embedding environmental thinking in everything you do, from operations and logistics, to considering how creation, programming and partnerships can help support your commitment and provoke debate. Essential Read: ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Inclusivity & Relevance Inclusivity & Relevance is about ensuring the creative and cultural sector better reflects and serves all communities across England. It is a commitment to achieving greater fairness, access and opportunity. This principle builds on the Creative Case for Diversity to encompass programming, talent development, workforce, leadership and governance. It means identifying who is under-represented and which communities are under-served and taking action to address this. The aim is to collectively create a cultural sector that is relevant to more people and better placed to realise its creative ambitions, drawing on talent from all our communities. Essential Reads: INCLUSIVITY & RELEVANCE Governance: Working with the Investment Principles Download our governance guide for boards which contains all the key messages and facts around the Investment Principles. TAKE A LOOK LET'S CREATE APPLYING THE INVESTMENT PRINCIPLES Image Captions Connect with us: Watch, read, listen: Contact us Press Office E-newsletter sign up Access Support Accessibility statement Cookies and privacy Terms and conditions Modern Slavery Statement © Copyright Arts Council England This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some of these cookies are essential, while others help us to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Clicking accept will save your preferences for 1 year. 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