Arts Council England a victim of London-centric media, says CEO

The chief executive of Arts Council England has launched an impassioned defence of the organisation, claiming it has suffered because of "London-centric" media coverage.

- Lanre Bakare

Darren Henley, who marked his 10th anniversary as Arts Council England (ACE) CEO last week, said there was an imbalance in media coverage.

He said London-based figures were able to get newspaper coverage while regional arts leaders to which ACE has redistributed funds were not getting the same access. ACE is charged with distributing public and lottery funds to arts organisations in England.

Henley said: "I observe the London-centricity in our media. I go around the country, and the people who lead in those places don't get the half-page columns in our national newspapers as easily as the people who are London-based.

"There's a power dynamic there... there's a sort of imbalance. Maybe the role I have to play when I'm sitting in the corridors of power in London is to be representative of all those places who don't have a seat at that table."