Budgets across the UK are delivering harsh cuts to arts groups with Westminster council set to cut funding by 100 per cent, while Newcastle council will deliver a 50 per cent cut in funding.
Westminster City Council will reduce its arts budget from £350,000 to £192,00 in 2013-14 and cut it completely by 2014-15 in a bid to set the lowest band D council tax in the country.
Soho Theatre and English National Ballet are among the groups that will lose funding under the plans.
Melvyn Caplan, Westminster Council's cabinet member for finance and customer services, said: "We are literally choosing between arts projects and keeping a library open, or retaining gangs workers on our estates, or running our meals on wheels service. There is no easy answer for the savings that are required.”
Newcastle City Council is also overhauling its art funding by stopping its regular arts funding and introducing a new cultural fund worth half the amount.
As part of the council's efforts to save £100m, the £1.2m arts fund will be replaced by a £600,000 cultural fund.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland is bucking the trend as Belfast City Council has agreed a £4.1m funding package for more than 50 local arts groups, as part of a new three-year support plan.
The new Core Multi-Annual Funding represents an increase on 2012/13 budgets of more than 27 per cent.
Alderman Christopher Stalford, chair of the Council’s Development Committee said arts and heritage are valued for enriching quality of life and creating wealth, and the city’s culture and creativity should be renowned throughout the world.
"The achievements of the cultural sector working in partnership with Belfast City Council and key stakeholders have provided a firm base to establish Belfast as a creative and cultural city."
The Local Government Association (LGA) has spoken out against the cuts stating that council investment in the arts is driving local growth, generating billions of extra pounds for the national economy and maintaining Britain's role in creating Hollywood blockbusters.
For more information on the LGA report click
here
