A new report on the plight of small visual arts organisations that are set to lose their core Arts Council England (ACE) funding in April has described them as facing a “a long dark night of the soul”. While a few have grounds for cautious optimism, many others are already planning their closure or have recognised that this worst-case scenario will be inevitable if their current and planned funding applications fail. The report, ‘Realising the value’, was written by Dany Louise for a-n the Artists Information Company and builds on her earlier work on ‘Ladders for Development’ in the visual arts (AP237). This argued that the visual arts sector should pull together and support small visual arts organisations cut by ACE because they “punch above their weight” and provide vital development of future artists. Her latest findings suggest that while there are a few examples of this happening, it is not sufficiently widespread to ensure the survival of many of those facing the cuts.
The Folly Trust, the digital arts development agency based in Lancaster which commissions rural touring projects, has already announced its closure after 22 years of operation, and another organisation is preparing to make a similar announcement. Only those with the potential to exploit their tangible and intangible assets for income are looking ahead with any confidence, such as ISIS, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, which is seeking to build on its specialist knowledge of European cultural networks and funding. A commitment to delivering current obligations at the same time as having to assess and plan for future options has placed a severe burden on all these organisations, stretching the capacity of staff and boards, which have had to become significantly more active and involved. Many have faced additional costs for expert advice on redundancy process and the proper disposal of assets funded by public money, as well as costing up the expenses of closure. Redundancies have begun as organisations cut back to focus on their core strengths, though several organisations are already so lean that there is nothing left to cut in terms of staff or overheads if their work is to continue at all. Most organisations already operate with a minimum of permanent staff and bring in freelancers for time-limited project delivery. Louise concludes: “It’s a dispiriting outlook given the sector’s many achievements and the impact it has had in the last twenty years.”