Arts funding windfall crucial amid council cuts

ARTS and culture in the West Midlands is to receive a timely cash boost worth £20 million after Birmingham City Council confirmed that it was to cut its own funding to the sector.

In last week’s 2024 Spring Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a fresh round of capital worth £10 million to support arts, culture and heritage organisations and companies.

The money will be handed to West Midlands Combined Authority to support the sector across the region and which it will also match, doubling the amount the authority is able to put into arts, culture and heritage.

This includes £6 million from the Commonwealth Games underspend which the Government agreed to reinvest back into the region, with additional funding for skills development and money from Arts Council England.

And a further £4 million has come to the region as a direct result of the deeper devolution deal agreed between the West Midlands and central Government a year ago.

The news came just a day after Birmingham City Council confirmed it was planning to axe 100 per cent of its arts funding, said to be £3.2 million over two years, drawing huge protests outside the Council House in Victoria Square ahead of a crucial meeting.

And last month Birmingham’s historic Electric cinema announced that it was closing its doors after reopening under new owners following the Covid lockdowns.

Funding from the combined authority is already supporting live events across the region, with £1.5 million earmarked to ensure this year’s Black Country Festival, Coventry Godiva Festival and Birmingham Weekender can take place.

Money has also been set aside so councils can support hyper local activities and a regional business and networking programme to support around 10,000 freelancers, many of whom work on short-term contracts.

A further £2.2 million is providing free skills bootcamps in immersive arts, digital, social media and content creation.

Separately, the Chancellor also announced £5 million for the combined authority to continue its work aiming to grow business investment and tourism on the back of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “The benefits that our vibrant arts, cultural and heritage scene brings to our region should not be underestimated – not least in providing jobs for nearly 100,000 people.

“It also attracts tens of thousands more visitors to our region from across the UK and beyond, eager to enjoy unique social gatherings and shows. We know that coming together in this way is incredibly important to people’s good health and general wellbeing. But, after weathering the storm of Covid, many organisations in this vital sector are now fearful of being held back as the existing funding streams they rely on either slow down or in some cases start to dry up completely.

“That’s why two months ago I went to see the Chancellor to personally lobby for more cash to recognise the importance of our cultural sector to both local people and the regional economy. The Chancellor heard my calls and has made £10 million available in his Budget which we will now double to £20 million using our own funding.

“This will give our cultural sector a timely shot in the arm - not least in the wake of Birmingham City Council’s cuts as we continue to build on the successful legacy generated by the Commonwealth Games.”

The Chancellor heard my calls and has made £10 million available in his Budget West Midlands Mayor Andy Street