Concerns raised over the 'short-sighted' nature of cuts as drastic reductions to funding for cultural organisations in Nottingham and Birmingham are confirmed.
Sweeping cuts to local authority arts and culture budgets have been confirmed by councils in Birmingham and Nottingham
In an effort to make £300m in savings, Birmingham City Council is cutting nearly all its arts funding, with the move rubberstamped at a meeting on Tuesday (5 March).
Birmingham International Dance Festival will lose its £350,000 funding and grants to regularly funded arts organisations will face 50% cuts this year and 100% next financial year.
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The cuts in Nottingham, confirmed on Monday (4 March), will see a 100% reduction in grants to cultural institutions.
Nottingham Playhouse said it was "deeply concerned" to hear confirmation of a 100% cut of its £60,502 annual grant from Nottingham City Council, which was approved at the Council’s meeting on 4 March.
"While understanding the Council’s financial situation, Nottingham Playhouse believes that a cut to our funding is short-sighted," a statement issued by Nottingham Playhouse said.
"It will have minimal effect on their shortfall whilst having a negative impact on the important work we do as a charity for our community.
"We will now be reviewing our plans for 2024/25 as we seek ways to address this new funding gap."
Last month, a survey by the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils across England, found that 34% of local authorities reported the need to make cuts across arts and culture to balance the books.
In January, the government provided £600m extra funding for councils across 2024/25 to help protect services, but the LGA says this is in the context of an estimated £4bn funding gap.
A new organisation, the National Alliance for Cultural Services - made up of a range of local government bodies, including the LGA - was recently launched in a bid to provide a collective voice for local government cultural services.
It is calling for a fresh approach to sustain culture services in light of ongoing funding pressures.
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