Responding to a 30 per cent cut in government funding, the Arts Council England today announced the winners and losers of its latest round of funding
Responding to a 30 per cent cut in government funding, the Arts Council England today announced the winners and losers of its latest round of funding. Over 1,300 arts organisations applied for funding, but only 695 were successful, 154 fewer than previously.
Dame Liz Forgan, chair of Arts Council England said that they had ‘taken the brave path of strategic choices not salami slices, which has meant some painful decisions.’ The Council’s government funding has been reduced to £350 million from £452 million per year; over 2012-15, it will give out £956 million in total, with bids submitted for £1.4 billion.
More than 200 of the Arts Council’s regularly funded organisations failed to make the cut, but just over 100 new organisations were added to the portfolio. Large national organisations such as the English National Opera, English National Ballet, Royal Opera and the National Theatre faced funding cuts of between 11–15 per cent, as did many orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Sinfonietta and the London Symphony Orchestra.
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The organisations which will newly receive Arts Council funding are largely based in London and the South East (45 out of 105), but £18 million of lottery funds were earmarked for touring companies, a favoured way of increasing the penetration of the arts around the country.
A rare piece of good news for the arts was announced: an £80 million increase in lottery funding. £10.5 million of this will target work with young people and children, and £12 million will be freed up for small organisations.
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Spear’s, with our twin interests in art and philanthropy, will be following this story – and its ramifcations for donors – closely.
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