Chancellor Pilfers Arts Budget

Two weeks ago Arts Council England was warning of a 10 percent cut, but Osborne’s measures – part of his plan to help reduce the country’s deficit – are no more than petty pilfering compared to what some expected. As it is, ACE and the national museums will share less of the burden, suffering only a 5 percent cut for 2015-16.

The cuts have still drawn a mixed reaction from groups and bodies in the arts sector.

“A cut of 5 percent is a best-case scenario in what are difficult and testing economic times for everyone,” said ACE chairman Peter Bazalgette. “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the culture sector have all done a good job in making the case for continued government investment in arts and culture and highlighting the vital contribution which they are able to make to our quality of life and economy as a result.” 

Sally O’Neill, interim chief executive of the Royal Opera House, said she’s encouraged that the government “has listened to our concerns and recognises the value that arts and culture make to both the quality of people’s lives,” but is worried that the 10 percent cut in local council budgets will be a blow to the regional arts organisations they help fund.

“I’m sure one could argue that it could be worse. It would be crazy to think that we should be celebrating a 5 percent cut. But I suppose compared to what was potentially in the works it’s perhaps a better result than we might have feared,” said Opera North general director Richard Mantle. The UK government’s grant-in-aid to Arts Council England will go from £472 million ($716 million) in 2012-13 to £451 million ($684 million) in 2014-15. Earlier in the year the treasury wrote to all government departments to warn that they may have to cut their budgets by up to 10 percent in 2015-2016 in order to slash public spending by £11.5 billion ($17.4 billion).