Council asked to approve £3m in arts funding
Birmingham City Council’s cabinet is being asked to approve almost £3m of arts funding and grants for the next four years.
A proposed decrease funding levels to Support to the Arts by a third formed part of the city council’s budget consultation at the end of last year, but following feedback the council agreed to lessen that reduction to half a million pounds.
The report proposes revenue funding grants totalling £2,367,000 alongside Local Arts Development and arts project commissioning totalling £310,000.
If approved, this Support to the Arts funding of £2,677,000 will be maintained up to 2022/23 in order to provide organisations with some stability, and enable them to forward plan their future programmes including any aligned to supporting the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Cllr Jayne Francis, cabinet member for education, skills and culture, said: “Access to the arts for people from all backgrounds is so important, and our cultural programme will form a key part of Birmingham 2022.
“While it is only right therefore that the city council alongside partners such as Arts Council England continue to support major arts organisations as well as community programmes, continuing cuts to the public sector mean that these organisations need to continue to work collaboratively to share costs and maximise commercial income.
“The Birmingham Cultural Investment Inquiry has done some good initial work looking at new ways of investing in arts and culture. We have to find new ways of realising the city’s creative potential and staying at the forefront of cultural development in the UK, despite the financial challenge.
“We therefore can’t do this on our own; we must all work together to enable us to have a thriving and vibrant cultural future for the city and surrounding area for years to come.”
The funding for Local Arts Development supports the delivery of the ten Local Arts Forums across the city. This offers smaller independent arts organisations across the city the opportunity to apply for project funding that helps deliver on some of the priority objectives for the council.
Funding is spread across three themes: Next Generation, focusing on young people; Culture on Our Doorstep, supporting increased community cohesion and engagement; Cultural Regeneration, reaching out to our BAME communities including delivery of Black History Month in October.
Revenue-funded organisations are: City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Birmingham Royal Ballet; Birmingham Repertory Theatre; Performances Birmingham Ltd; Birmingham Opera Company; IKON Gallery; Sampad; DanceXchange; Ex Cathedra.
