Since 2010, the Conservative government has been fixed on defunding, devaluing, and disintegrating the UK's arts and culture sector, claims Katie Goh.
The UK’s arts sector is currently sitting on a knife’s edge. At the end of 2022, Arts Council England (ACE) announced it was cutting £50 million a year from London-based arts organisations in its 2023-2026 plans, fulfilling government instruction to distribute money away from the capital. This plan to spread arts funding thinner was met with protests and frustration, as well as London-based arts organisations scrambling to move cities. The message was clear: under this Tory government, arts organisations will be forced to fight over crumbs.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, 2023 began with a proposed 10% cut to Creative Scotland, who warned that reduced funding would impact 50% of the national arts funding body’s organisations. Thanks to pressure from campaigners and unions, this proposal was abandoned in February, but throughout the UK, the arts are struggling to survive...Keep reading on gal-dem.
The UK’s arts sector is currently sitting on a knife’s edge. At the end of 2022, Arts Council England (ACE) announced it was cutting £50 million a year from London-based arts organisations in its 2023-2026 plans, fulfilling government instruction to distribute money away from the capital. This plan to spread arts funding thinner was met with protests and frustration, as well as London-based arts organisations scrambling to move cities. The message was clear: under this Tory government, arts organisations will be forced to fight over crumbs.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, 2023 began with a proposed 10% cut to Creative Scotland, who warned that reduced funding would impact 50% of the national arts funding body’s organisations. Thanks to pressure from campaigners and unions, this proposal was abandoned in February, but throughout the UK, the arts are struggling to survive...Keep reading on gal-dem.