BBC - Commissioning - Arts on BBC One

What We Want

• Browse by genre
  • Arts
  • CBeebies
  • CBBC
  • Comedy
  • Current Affairs
  • Daytime & Early Peak
  • Documentaries
  • Drama
  • Entertainment
  • Features and Formats BBC One & BBC Two
  • Features, Formats & Factual on BBC Three
  • HD at the BBC
  • History & Business
  • Learning
  • Open University
  • Music & Events
  • Religion & Ethics
  • Science & Natural History
  • Sport
• Browse by channel
  • BBC One
  • BBC Two
  • BBC Three
  • BBC Four
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
• Service Strategies
• Programme Acquisition
• Nations and Regions

Print this page

Arts on BBC One

• See all BBC One briefs

 Commissioner: Mark Bell

Overview

Our key intention BBC One is to put Arts at the heart of the national consciousness. This means four things:

• We should look beyond traditional areas to new areas and approaches, but with the aim of attracting a broad BBC One audience.
• We should provide entry points to those who feel disconnected from the Arts, as well as Arts enthusiasts.
• We should embed Arts content across existing strands and genres - in News, Features and Docs.
• Stories - and ways of telling them - that show that arts can be for everyone, exploring broad interests from heritage to 'how to...' 

What's been working well gallery

Imagine is BBC One's flagship arts strand. It offers some opportunities for commissions from independents, often contingent on access to high profile figures from arts and culture. 

Fake or Fortune has been an entry point to those who feel disconnected from traditional arts programmes.

Arts - BBC One - High Impact programmes - 3–4 × 60' series, singles and events

We are keen to explore ideas beyond traditional areas of painting, heritage and biography and find new areas/ approaches.

Singles, short series and events are all welcome.

We would like to make Arts on BBC One more modern and relevant as well as provide entry points for those who feel disconnected from the Arts - Fake or Fortune is a good example of this.

We would like to introduce new presenters with authority and contemporary tone, like Alastair Sooke on Modern Masters.

On Imagine, we want to continue bringing in big names from art and culture to broaden the strand's appeal - this could be anyone from Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei to Sir Tom Jones.

The brief for Imagine is simple. To be bold. To address a diverse range of arts and popular cultural subjects with intelligence and flair. We aim to be inclusive but we hope to inspire and surprise too.

The Imagine strand airs twice a year with a series of single 40 minute films in spring and autumn - and whilst we're interested in topical subjects we don't slavishly follow diary events. What we're really looking for is ambition, originality and narrative. 

Where are the opportunities available?

Limited opportunity in the WoCC in 12/13.

How should I submit my ideas and who should I pitch to?

All proposals should be submitted via the e-commissioning system to the relevant genre controller or commissioner. Take a look at the Who's Who for the latest arts commissioning team contacts

Want to know more about the broader BBC One service strategy?

If you would like to know more about Danny Cohen's BBC One channel strategy, please visit the BBC One page.