Collections Management in the Arts Council of Northern Ireland : House of Commons Papers 2005-06, 1541

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is a non-departmental public body which reports to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, and it is the lead body for the development of the arts in Northern Ireland.

In order to raise awareness and interest in the visual arts, the Council has maintained and developed a collection of works of art, valued at GBP 2.7million, and it was also responsible for the Partnership Purchasing Scheme (PPS) under which it has assisted other institutions and public bodies to purchase works of art.

This NIAO report highlights a number of concerns over the Council's management of the collection and the PPS, including a history of deficiencies in relation to its documentation and monitoring of the collection, with an inadequate security policy for works on display, resulting in the fact that the Council has been unable to identify the location of 56 works.

Approximately half of the collection held in storage conditions which are less than ideal; and there is scope for improved co-ordination between the Council and the Department of Finance and Personnel who also maintain a collection of art work.