Arts Development UK’s (AD:uk) tenth annual survey of local authority arts spending has revealed a dramatic and changing picture of the arts in local communities, with participating authorities projecting reductions to their budgets of 12.26% in real terms for 2013/14, and a growing need for arts services to demonstrate economic value.
The survey shows that 133 local authorities in England and Wales have no dedicated arts officer and no direct arts service (35.3% ), while the remainder (64.7%) have services that are vulnerable to cuts. The majority are operating in reduced financial circumstances and the downward trend in most areas of activity continues.
Although an element of stabilisation in the short-term that occurred in 2012/13 continues, the long term is still expected to bring further budget cuts and changes. However, arts services are seen as increasingly important in improving the quality of life for local communities and helping to address social, health and wellbeing issues in local areas.
Jane Wilson, Chair of AD:uk and Director of Arts Development in East Cambridgeshire, said: “The stand-out issue from this year’s survey is the increasing polarisation of provision, as more and more smaller authorities find themselves unable to maintain an arts service. Individual local authorities are making very difficult decisions, in each case with good reason, but the overall effect is having a critical impact on the potential for arts development at a national level.
“The skills and resources both to develop arts activities and, crucially, to draw down other sources of funding, whether from sponsors, charitable-giving or earned income, are being concentrated in tighter and tighter areas, making the aspiration of great art for everyone far harder to achieve.”
Key findings
The key findings of the AD:uk survey are:
– The average local authority budget for arts spending in 2012/13 was £373,951, with a projected average arts budget of £361,640 in 2013/14.
– For every £1 spent by local authorities on arts service, leverage from grant aid and partnership working brings in £4.04 of additional funding.
– Over 50% of local authorities recorded a standstill arts budget for 2013/14, with 5% under threat of closure and 15% of authorities saying they were considering different mechanisms for contracting out of arts services. 91% of authorities are predicting further cuts to arts services in 2014/15.
– Local authorities are significant funders of independent arts organisations, especially in areas with little or no National Portfolio Organisation (NPO)/Regularly Funded Organisation (RFO) provision by Arts Council England or Arts Council of Wales. Support for non-RFO/NPO arts organisations accounts for up to 10.75% of total arts spend.
The online survey was sent to all 375 local authorities in England and Wales and was the first to be undertaken by AD:uk in partnership with the Arts Council of Wales. It received 73 responses, representing 30% of all local authorities with an arts service.
Read the full survey report at artsdevelopmentuk.org/
