Councils divided on arts cuts

Many councils have been reducing their funding to arts, sport and culture in the face of cuts from central government. Newcastle, Somerset and Moray all recently hit the headlines for proposing a 100% arts budget cut although Newcastle has now found an innovative solution to its funding crisis.

However councils have been doing their best to continue supporting the arts and some, like Belfast, have even increased funding to the area. A recent report from the Local Government Association found that for every £1 invested in the arts, another £4 is generated. The arts provide nearly a million jobs, with 67,000 cultural businesses contributing £28bn to the economy every year.

Belfast is increasing spending on the arts by 27% and has agreed a £4.1m package for the next three years. The city has a Cultural Framework to increase audiences and visitor numbers and plans on generating £8 for every £1 invested.

Manchester, like Newcastle, is in the middle ground of cutting funding but trying to find constructive solutions. The council has identified £290,000 in savings, a 5% cut. “Within this we’ve made sure that small arts organisations have not suffered any funding cuts,” said a spokesman for the council, “with the rationale that many of these small groups would be unable to carry on without this money.” The council has kept up a close dialogue with the larger arts organisations and in many cases has agreed a reduction in funding only if it will not jeopardise the organisations’ future.

Newcastle will spend £1.9m on culture over the next three years and has created a Culture Fund which will draw money from various council streams as well as other areas. “We’re guaranteeing that it will have a £600,000 per annum level of funding from 2015-16, but the fund is open to others contributors,” Newcastle’s director of culture, libraries and lifelong learning told Room 151 a couple of weeks ago.

“So should Bryan Ferry, for example, wish to contribute to the Culture Fund he could, easily, but he wouldn’t be giving the money to the council. The Community Foundation will set up a panel – which will include some elected members but not in the majority – who will make the decisions about funding as we move forward.”

Councils are also making loans to sporting clubs to help them out of difficulties. The Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership recently shortlisted its local football club for Growing Places funding to help build a new stadium in the local area. Portsmouth also helped out its football club with a loan with strict conditions and guarantees attached. Portsmouth’s S151 Chris Ward said: “Rather than see the club liquidated and there be no football club of any standing in Portsmouth, the council thought that it was in the wider interest for the club to remain and the council to provide a loan to facilitate that.” The economic rationale was football matches bring people into the city and support the surrounding businesses.

Even small scale arts, sport and culture funding projects such as Kirklees’ Arts in the Neighbourhood grant scheme are still being viewed as healthy for growth. “The main purpose of Arts in the Neighbourhood is to achieve social outcomes,” said Adele Poppleton, creative economy and VCS development manager at Kirklees Council. However it is important to note that there is a positive impact on the economy. Groups buy services and products from local suppliers; local artists gain employment; people volunteer and develop skills for future employment; Kirklees has developed a reputation as a creative, innovative place which attracts investors. In 2011/12 Creative Partners, arts organisations we invest in and work in partnership with, generated £9.78 of other income for every £1 invested by the council.”