Channel 4 supercharges short-form arts coverage

16 April 2014

Arts Council England and Channel 4 today announced a partnership to re-launch the channel’s Random Acts strand with a more prominent television slot, enhanced online presence, increased funding and a more ambitious remit.

As part of the new plans for the expanded Random Acts programme, Arts Council England will invest £3m on finding and developing 16 to 24-year-old creative talent, establishing a series of regional networks across the country.  Each network will see arts organisations, artists, educational bodies and production companies collaborate on significant training and development for young artists and arts film-makers. The resulting short films from these networks will be played on the Random Acts strand on television and online, – as part of Channel 4’s new short form content brand 4Shorts on 4oD –  alongside artist films from more established talent commissioned directly by Channel 4.

The strand will also include a new Random Acts TV series, giving the project a more substantial presence on the channel. Each half-hour programme will feature a curated selection of the short films from a wide variety of art forms, and will act as a showcase for the world of digital short-form creativity on mainstream television. The short films selection will additionally be showcased on 4oD’s new 4Shorts hub which will enable on-demand viewers to interact with and share the content.

Random Acts began in 2011 with the aim of escaping the conventions of arts broadcasting and showing television made by artists, rather than programmes about them. Since then it has broadcast over 500 short films covering art, dance, animation, music and opera, including work by Ai Weiwei, Tinie Tempah, Kate Tempest, Jake and Dinos Chapman and Marina Abramovic (all still available at randomacts.channel4.com).

It has long been a home for experimentation and innovation, bringing the cutting edge of contemporary culture to mainstream TV audiences. The Arts Council has been a partner in and co-funder of the project from the beginning, but this next phase of the relationship sees a significant increase in their contribution, and boosts the strand’s role as a place where the next generation of talent can find their voice.

John Hay, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4 said: “There’s an incredible world of short-form filmmaking online that has got detached from television and isn’t seen by as nearly as many people as it should be. Random Acts already has a long and impressive track record in finding, showcasing and supporting those filmmakers, but with this expanded programme and partnership it stands a far better chance of getting them the attention their astonishing work deserves, and making sure that there’s a stream of new talent joining their ranks.”

Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair Arts Council England said: “Channel 4 has a knack for giving a voice to younger audiences, so we see Random Acts as key to our ambition to inspire new, diverse and dynamic young talent. We want this partnership to enable the next generation of artists and filmmakers to showcase their work to the widest possible audiences.”

For more information contact:

For press enquiries please contact: Marion Bentley, Group Publicity Manager, Factual

Eleanor Hutchins, Head of Media, Arts Council England,
Email: Eleanor.hutchins@artscouncil.org.uk

Notes to editors

• The current run of Random Acts will finish at the end of May and the strand will re-launch in the new form described above winter 2014.
• Arts Council England will begin the application process for the regional networks in July 2014

Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. Between 2010 and 2015, it will invest £1.9 billion of public money from government and an estimated £1.1 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk