Devolve arts funding fairly and hand mayors more – study

NORTH East Mayors should be handed £39m for arts and culture to ensure the region is treated fairly, according to a new study.

The proposal comes from think tank the Fabian Society, which warns that London is still getting the lions share of arts subsidies.

There are two main sources of arts and culture funding – cash directly from Arts Council England and money from the National Lottery, which is then distributed by the Arts Council.

But London gets £74.30 per person directly from Arts Council England, while the North East gets around £33. This is based on grants covering the period from 2018 to 2022.

London also received £50.40 per person in National Lottery funding for the arts between 2009 and 2018, compared to £21.26 in the rest of England.

The problem is partly that cash tends to go to larger arts organisations, which tend to be based in the south. There are 3.2 million jobs in the creative industries across the UK, and a fairer allocation of arts funding could help create jobs in regions such as the Midlands.

The Fabian Society report, called Cultured Communities, calls for devolution of power and funding over the arts so that councils and mayors can repair the damage caused by years of cuts and the coronavirus pandemic. It calls for “a reset of the arts and culture funding across England which will secure a focus on grassroots organisations, freelancers, and small creative businesses”.

This would put the North of Tyne mayor in charge of £22m in funding, the report says.