Some of the lessons from this retrospective focus are:
- That historical precedents should be analysed and insights incorporated into the policy development process.
- That restructuring organisations such as the Arts Council can lead to loss of institutional memory, and of valuable insight and experience.
- That longitudinal evaluation is vital to capture the impact of engagement in later life and to measure the relative efficacy of initiatives.
- Finally, that the Arts Council archives are a hugely valuable, and largely untapped, resource.
Deborah Bull, The Guardian, 15 January 2015.