ACE urges organisations to join campaign against harsh cuts
Arts Council England calls on organisations to give their views on value of the arts • Achieving Great Art for Everyone consultation findings published
ACE has to reduce budgets in 2010-11 by £23m and the regularly funded organisations have had budgets reduced by 0.5%. The DCMS has asked the Arts Council to model cuts of 25-30% over four years.
Now ACE is campaigning hard and arguing to minimise these cuts before the government's Spending Review in the autumn.
The first of many briefings across the country took place on Monday 12 July at mac in Birmingham. Over 100 arts organisations heard from the Arts Council's Laura Dyer, Area Executive Director, Midlands and South West (Pictured), and Ros Robins, Director West Midlands.
Laura Dyer said: "We know that the arts won't be immune to the spending cuts, but will be arguing for any cut to be made intelligently.
"With the arts sector we will be able to manage the cuts much more effectively if they do not hit hard in the first year, but spread them, ideally with greater impact, in later years.
"We are urging arts organisations to join us in passing on their views to the government."
The campaign messages are:
• the arts budget is tiny (it costs 17p a week per person)
• Arts Council investment levers funding from private and commercial sectors (for every £1, an additional £2), and at a local level can lever five times its worth
• arts investment plays a vital role in the journey from talent to the creative industries; it is essential research and development
• the arts are vital to the economic recovery
• the arts are valued - 76% in the last 12 months
The Arts Council is encouraging arts organisations to:
• highlight their work to MPs and ministers
• work with other arts organisations in their area or art form to demonstrate the difference they make
• work with influential supporters of their organisations so they in turn can make the case for the arts
An advocacy toolkit and other resources are available on the Arts Council website: www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-us/why-arts-matter
Arts Counci England has also announced the findings of its consultation Achieving Great Art for Everyone - a consultation on its 10-year strategic framework for the arts.
The
findings will be used to help inform the Arts Council’s relationship with artists
and audiences, its investment priorities and decision-making.
To read more about the findings, go to: http://press.artscouncil.org.uk
Date posted: 27th July 2010