Although ‘excellence’ may be problematic to define and measure, we believe that through a collaborative effort with the sector, a rigorous conceptual framework and sector-led quality metrics could be developed. It is envisioned that this would fill the absence of fora for critical debate in terms of  discussions on the quality and content of cultural products. We also understand that excellence in the arts cannot be assessed as an aggregate, due to the range of disciplines and genres. This will be reflected in commissioned sector-specific reviews allowing for a more specialised approach. In producing these reviews, the council will work in tandem with practitioners, academics, cultural operators and other individuals with expertise in the sectors. To this extent, assessing the ‘creative capacity’ of PCOs in producing and presenting excellent programming would further complement this research. Therefore the ways in which ACM’s funding contributes towards developing excellent work would become clear and recommendations could be derived for further improvement.