Sunday, July 22, 2012
'Local funding for arts to be cut by 90% by 2020' - report
The Stage: Local funding for arts and culture in England and Wales will have all but disappeared by 2020 unless there is a radical change in central government policy, the Local Government Association has warned.
The claim is made in the LGA report, Funding outlook for councils from 2010/11 to 2019/20. In it, the LGA warns that cuts to local government funding from Whitehall, coupled with the increasing cost to local councils of delivering adult social care and other statutory services, will mean that discretionary funding streams will have to be cut by 90% in cash terms to meet a projected £16.5 billion shortfall. Arts funding is one such discretionary stream.
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3 comments:
This is a horrible discovery. Art is a great part of society and without it, some people will have no way of expressing themselves. Art is much more than something pretty to look at, it can express issues and concerns. It can show people the wrong within society and it comes in multiple styles. If those styles are to all be eliminated, jobs will be lost and the questioning of society will start to fall. This idea of cutting funds is radical and dysfunctional. A society without art will fall, and the funding of the arts are one of the only ways it will survive. Art doesn't supply artists with a lot of money, but it gives people a sense of fulfillment. The loss of art will be detrimental to England's society, no matter how little money they have.
This is terrible. Besides just the fact that studies show that people with an exposure to art are better people, exposure to art helps people in almost every job type. Art encourages creativity and that is a highly transferable skill across work platforms. As an aspiring designer, I also feel for the many young individuals who will be negatively affected by this new measure, despite being talented. Also, as just a practical concern, art is entertainment, and helps to maintain good morale socially between people, and with the funding cut, this could go away. Personally, I would rather pay more in taxes and support the arts then let them die because of my own selfish greed.
Results can never 100% dictate what the future will be. It is still disheartening to see the already present downward trend that is funding for the arts. It is also difficult to say that funding will the arts will decrease 90% because the arts will morph into a new form that is not known, or not widespread yet. Conventional art may dwindle, but the gap will be filled by a new digital outlet. Of course it is horrible to think funding to any department is unfortunate, but i don't think that the arts in any area will disappear completely in any situation.
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