A report Wednesday (3/30) on the BBC website states, “More than 200 organisations that received regular funding from Arts Council England have missed out after ‘a series of painful decisions.’ About 1,300 venues, theatres, galleries and arts groups applied for grants from the council, which had its budget cut by £100m in October’s Spending Review. Some 695 groups will get funding for 2012 to 2015—down from 849—while 110 new groups have been successful. The government has pledged an extra £80m in lottery money from 2013. Last year, the Arts Council said it received an estimated £149m a year in lottery funding. Of the extra lottery money, touring companies will get support to the tune of £18m a year, while £10.5m will target work with children and young people. Arts Council England, meanwhile, said that money could not be used to directly fund arts organisations and could only be used for one-off projects such as building renovations or refurbishments. … Arts Council England said it had not followed an ‘equal cuts for all’ policy, instead making decisions on a case-by-case basis with a focus on ‘excellent organisations and exceptional individual talent.’ ”
Posted March 30, 2011
