Response to the NIAO Report on Collections Management in the Arts Council of Northern Ireland

With our full co-operation, the Audit Office has produced a very thorough report. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland recognises that there were historical failures in its collection management system. A collection of 1,200 items started in 1943 and spanning 55 years is likely to raise uncertainty regarding old, manual record keeping. It is with regret that we acknowledge that works were written off and others remain unaccounted for. However today we have in place an excellent electronic collection management system which fully addresses the concerns raised within the report.

The market value of most works in the collection is small by international comparison, but is of value in terms of their contribution to Northern Irish art history. To put things in perspective, the Arts Council’s collection isn’t a museum-style collection. Our purpose in buying these works was, and is, to support and promote living artists from Northern Ireland and to raise awareness of and interest in contemporary visual arts here. By its nature, the Arts Council collection is available to the public, on display across many public buildings and it carries risks that are different to those of a museum collection.

The Council now has a twenty-first century electronic collection management system in place and a curator with the skills to help us keep track of and manage over 1,200 pieces of work by Northern Irish artists. The NI Audit Office has recognised and welcomed that fact within the report. The Council continues to search for missing items and will exhaust every avenue of opportunity.

Click here to go to Northern Ireland Audit Office press release and report