Region hit harder by cuts to the arts
Devolution calls grow as London fares far better
CULTURE: Calls are being made for Arts Council funding to be devolved to local leaders after research revealed that cuts have been worse in Yorkshire than in London.
Research by political think tank the Fabian Society showed that local spending on arts and culture is 38.5 per cent lower than it was ten years ago.
CALLS are being made for Arts Council funding to be devolved to local leaders after research revealed that cuts have been worse in Yorkshire than in London.
Research by political think tank the Fabian Society showed that local spending on arts and culture is 38.5 per cent lower than it was ten years ago.
Arts Council England cash – funded by the National Lottery – spent in London last year equated to £ 50.40 per person, the report published today claims, compared with £ 21.26 per person for the rest of England.
Spending in the North- East region, including Yorkshire & the Humber, meanwhile, has been cut by 39.6 per cent over the past decade.
The Cultured Communities report revealed, from research carried out in Hull, that more than 5.3 million people attended cultural events during 2017, when it had City of Culture status.
More than half ( 52 per cent) of residents interviewed the following year reported feeling confident in their home city, compared with 31 per cent in the same survey in 2015.
However, respondents in Hull also reported a “sugar crash” feeling afterwards, with uncertainty about what the future holds in terms of funding for culture in
the city which remains the fourth most- deprived local authority in the country.
Researchers in the report argue that “investment in arts and culture is important and should be a high priority for local government in addressing the challenges caused by the Covid- 19 crisis”.
It goes on to recommend that National Lottery funding should be distributed to regions “on an equal per person basis by 2025”.
Fabian Society researcher Ben Cooper said: “Community arts and culture is an economic musthave for every village, town and
city if the Government is serious about levelling up.
“These grassroots organisations can support the high street, the hospitality sector, and improve everyone’s quality of life. If the arts thrive, we all do.”
Laura Dyer, Arts Council England Deputy CEO for places and engagement, said: “Making sure that everyone, no matter what their background or where they live, has the opportunity to experience high quality culture is a priority for us – we want our investment to reach every community across the country.”
Culture is an economic must... If the arts thrive, we all do. Fabian Society researcher Ben Cooper.