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MANIFESTO

We believe that great art needs great audiences, and that's why our Manifesto outlines our key messages for funders, policy-makers and the sector in England and the evidence behind those views. You can download our Manifesto here.

Audiences UK brings together the very best of thought and practice and is an invaluable network for us to engage with.

Steven Hadley, Chief Executive, Audiences Northern Ireland

Does it matter how fast the axe falls?

6th August 2010

We know big cuts are coming to cultural funding from national government. There may be some who believe it's better to get the pain over quickly by front-loading savings. They're wrong.

 
The sector simply isn't ready to respond to big cuts in 2011/12 in a way that won't have a major impact on 'front line services'. Organisations will not find other sources of income in time. They will not be able to look meaningfully at savings by mergers and shared services.
 
Co-funders will not be able to have intelligent conversations about organisations they jointly support. Instead the organisations will be far more likely to face like-for-like cuts, making them potentially less viable than organisations reliant on a single funder.
 
The result of all of this could be a disaster for the arts in the short term. But in the long term it will be the public who suffer as opportunities to access high quality cultural experiences could all but disappear around parts of country.  
 
The arts sector has (generally) been remarkably mature and sensible in its reaction to making its contribution to reducing the national debt. I hope that will mean the Secretary of State, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Chancellors will take a similarly considered approach to the phasing of the cuts.
 
David Brownlee, Chief Executive, Audiences UK

Comments

  1. Author
    Roger Tomlinson
    Permanent link
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    Date
    6th August 2010
    Comment
    Agree that phasing the cuts is essential. For many arts organisations, potential cuts of more than 20% are likely to be terminal, especially if local authorities are cutting too. Look what has happened in Wales, where a third of their portfolio has gone, and over a million in partnership funding lost. In the English regions, cuts of that scale will remove arts provision which is often the sole provision of an artform, creating huge geographical gaps. The lack of equitable distribution of ACE funds is bad enough already, so making it worse really abuses the tax payers who live furtherest from London and pay their taxes on the same basis as everyone else. Phased cuts need to be in partnership with local authorities about what is provided, where. And a national policy on touring.
    Roger

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