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NESTA, NOF and QUEST

The new government promised that they would encourage innovation. Tony Blair said that its priorities would be "Education, education, education." To fulfil this promise and met these priorities, New Labour set up two new quangoes, NESTA and NOF.

NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) is aimed at encouraging innovation in the three areas it covers. Actually set up in 1999, it provides support and finance, offering fellowships (worth between £25,000 and £75,000 (in cash and kind) over a period of three to five years, as well as the support of a mentor who would assist in the assessment and reporting), support for ideas for new products or services with commercial or social benefit, and education, encouraging interest in science, technology and the arts.

So far NESTA has set up seven "pioneer projects", most of which are in the Science and Technology fields, although one is in the Arts:

The 1999 Choreographers’ Lab, run by Performing Arts Labs, gives choreographers the chance to work with artists from different disciplines. The Lab works with dancers, visual artists, film-makers, composers and multi-media to develop innovation in dance and to create a model approach which can be used by others.

NOF - the New Opportunities Fund - is another funding body, working in the fields of health, education and the environment. Clearly the only way theatre (or, indeed, the arts in general) can benefit from NOF is through the education aspect and one of the areas of education in which NOF has shown interest so far is after-school clubs.

As with NESTA, it is a little too early to assess the impact of these two organisations on theatre, but since they are both funded by the National Lottery and thus are using some monies which may otherwise have come to theatre, we shall watch their development with interest.

As for QUEST, this is what Chris Smith had to say when he announced it in December of 1998:

We will establish a new body called the Quality, Efficiency and Standards Team (QUEST).

The establishment of QUEST is central to the new relationship which DCMS is developing with its sponsored bodies and with the sectors more broadly. The introduction of three year funding is accompanied by a new, clear focus on outcomes. We need to ensure that sponsored bodies meet our objectives and deliver improvements in efficiency, access, etc. in return for the investment of public money.

A concern expressed by those commenting on the proposal was that the new body might duplicate work already being done by the National Audit Office, the Audit Commission and others. We have discussed the aims and activities of QUEST with our sponsored bodies, and do not think duplication will be a problem.

The role of QUEST will be to identify, evaluate and promote good practice in the delivery of outputs related to DCMS objectives across all our responsibilities, and to provide independent advice to the Secretary of State on the performance of sponsored bodies in meeting Departmental objectives.

Initially QUEST will operate from within DCMS, but will, from its inception, have direct access to the Secretary of State. It will begin work in the new financial year.

So far we have heard remarkably little more on this subject. Perhaps even the DCMS has realised that it might be one quango too many!

Articles Indices:

Articles from 2002
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©Peter Lathan 2001