Governance

We are governed by a Board of Directors who bring a wide range of talents and experience to DACS. The Board includes artists, lawyers and other professionals with an interest in artists and their intellectual property. The Board ensures that DACS fulfils its mission to translate rights into revenue and recognition for visual artists.

DACS has a number of committees comprising Board Directors and members of staff, focussing on key areas of the organisation.

Business development committee

Oversees business development as well as the recruitment of new members, licensing, research and development activities.

Finance and audit committee

Monitors financial performance and advises the Board on strategic implications or significance of financial matters.

Legal committee

Provides general strategic advice to the Board on legal issues arising in the course of DACS’ business.

Remuneration committee

Oversees DACS’ HR policies and practices; reviews Board and staff remuneration and makes recommendations to the Board in this respect.

Voting members are eligible to attend DACS’ Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and vote on matters of the company, for example to appoint or remove a Board Director, to approve our financial documentation or other governance matters.

Who can become a Voting member?

It is important for the fair and balanced interest of all our members that AGM participation is granted to those who provide DACS with the greatest transfer of their rights. To join DACS as a Voting member you need to: 

1. Be a Copyright Licensing member of DACS

2. To have completed and read our Terms and Conditions.

3. Permit DACS to exercise copyright licensing rights and the secondary rights in the works in all industry sectors.

Each year, DACS hosts an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for our Voting members. The AGM is an opportunity to hear about our performance and achievements in the previous year, vote on key changes within the organisation and ask questions about our services.

The AGM 2023 minutes will be published on this page in Autumn 2024.

Download minutes

2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017

Read DACS' annual reports, audited accounts and transparency reports.

DACS is committed to operating ethically and sustainably. DACS holds funds that arise due to timing differences between payments made to DACS (by clients, art market professionals or other collecting societies) and payments made by DACS to rightsholders. 

These funds are invested with banks, building societies and an investment fund to maximise returns, of which the principal sum is invested in an ethical investment portfolio that meets the United Nation's Principles for Responsible Investment.

These set out the principles governing membership of DACS, our licensing and other activities, our governance framework and the standards that can be expected from us. It also explains what to do if things go wrong, and how to complain about matters covered by this Code.

Our distribution policy explains we require from our members in order to pay them their royalties, as well as the frequency and timing of these payments.

Articles of Association are written rules about running the company agreed by DACS directors and the company secretary. They are required under the Companies Act 2006 and become a public document when a company is registered with Companies House.

Climate change and climate equality critically impact the social and financial sustainability and security of visual artists. DACS’ mission to transform the financial landscape for visual artists must be rooted in joining the fight against climate insecurity. Through convening and collaborating with our members and wider visual arts community, we hope to provide a platform for knowledge exchange on solutions and actions we can all participate in. DACS is a member of the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC).

Read the Artist Toolkit by GCC, a guide for artists with practical ideas, actions, and resources to integrate environmental responsibility into their creative process.

To be true to our values and mission, DACS must also take urgent action to reduce our own carbon emissions and impact. We have already made changes, with more to be done. Below you will find an overview of what we’ve done so far and what more we plan to do.

What we have done

• We have joined the Gallery Climate Coalition and have pledged to reduce our emissions by 50% by 2030 from our 2019 baseline.
• We have launched and will maintain a Climate Crisis working group with representatives from different parts of the organisation.
• We have partnered with First Mile waste management services for compostable food waste and recycling services with zero waste to landfill.
• We have drastically reduced our paper use and printed material, including moving to digital membership forms, licence agreements and emailing members their payment statements.
• Although facilitated by two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, when travel was at its lowest worldwide, we have kept air travel to a minimum and aim to keep it at low levels by organising many of the necessary meetings online.
• We have implemented mechanisms to gather data and track and monitor our carbon emissions more effectively.
• We’ve raised awareness on sustainable practice to our membership through our Art + Environment Event series in partnership with the GCC and will keep sharing initiatives on our social platforms and other digital channels.
• We are working with environmentally responsible cleaners who use non-toxic chemicals that are safe for the environment.

• We are working hard to lower our energy emissions, which is our highest source of expenditure. This will be mediated through regular energy auditing and data analysis, improving the energy efficiency of our lighting and appliances and adjusting the operational schedule of our heating and ventilation systems.
• We recognise the importance of considering lower emissions in all aspects of our operations. This includes our online storage solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions. As we review and assess our current and future technology solutions, we will prioritise those with lower emissions and energy usage.
• We will work with our vendors and partners to encourage and support the development and adoption of sustainable technology solutions that align with our climate goals.
• We will use alternative, cost-effective, low emission delivery services such as bicycle couriers.
• Embed sustainability and carbon emissions within decision-making processes across the organisation.
• Continue to raise awareness and promote sustainable practices to our artist and artist estate members.
• Recycle, reuse, donate or responsibly dispose of electronic equipment and building materials.