About Arts Council England
What is Arts Council England?
Arts Council England describes itself as "the national development agency for creativity and culture" that invests "in artists and organisations that make and deliver exceptional, inspirational work for our communities". Its history page says "We were founded in 1946 in an era of increased opportunity for all, following the Second World War", with an original remit as the Arts Council of Great Britain. The careers page says "We employ more than 500 people in nine offices across England", and that many staff "are artists or have worked in arts and culture" while others bring expertise in "finance, digital technology, HR or another area".
Where will I work?
The nine offices are in Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cambridge, Brighton, Bristol and London. The postings give a base and a pattern: "The role will be based in one of the office bases listed; however, we are operating a hybrid way of working and support our staff to make use of remote working options when combined with regular on-site contact days with other members of the team, normally 1-2 days a week". Some roles list one office (the Grant Management assistants are in Manchester), others list several, and a full-time role is "working 35 hours per week". On 2026-10-19 the board listed six postings, three of them marked "National" (listing eight office bases) and three in the Manchester office.
What is the Arts Council England team like?
The careers page says "Wherever you work in the Arts Council, we all believe that creativity and culture make life better", and "We believe that our staff should represent the communities, organisations and individuals that we work with and support". Arts Council England is a member of The Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion and "a Disability Confident Employer". It describes itself as "a gold standard Investor in People", and says "We believe in developing your skills and talents", covering "the cost of qualifications, in-house and external training, conferences, e-learning and more". Its Code of Ethics sets the principles for "a fair, respectful and trusted organisation".
Work-Life Balance
The benefits page puts the leave in one line: "Annual leave: 25 days, plus bank holidays and an additional three days leave at Christmas". With England's eight public holidays that is 36 days at the start, and "All staff also earn one additional leave day per full year of service (up to five days)", so up to 41. The page also mentions "a winter closure of three days between Christmas and New Year for all colleagues", which this profile counts as the same three days (if they are extra, the total is 39). There is "a scheme to buy and sell annual leave", and "up to five days a year for personal and religious reasons". On flexibility it says "Where possible, we accommodate working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements to help you balance work and home life".
Perks and Benefits
"The Arts Council retirement plan is a final salary scheme with contributions on a sliding scale", and "All staff members are automatically provided with life assurance cover". Wellbeing support includes "Unmind: a workplace mental health platform", a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme with "up to six counselling sessions per year" and "A fully trained team of internal Mental Health First Aiders". The page lists "generous sick pay, paid maternity, paternity and adoptive parental leave", "up to £5,000 support" for newly appointed staff who need to move residence, and "Interest-free loans for travel season tickets, as well as bicycle, car and motorbike loans". Staff also get "Exclusive savings on high street and online shops, holidays, cinema tickets, gym membership, dining out and more".