This afternoon, following the Chancellor’s statement, the DCMS confirmed in a press briefing that the budget for the Arts Council has been cut by 29.6 %. This means the money we currently have to spend, £450m, will go down to £350m in real terms in 2014. Our cut in the first year (11/12) is around 14%. The full numbers are as follows:

2011/12  - £387.7

2012/13  - £359.2

2013/14  - £351.6

2014/15  - £349.4

The Secretary of State has asked us to try to ensure that funding for arts organisations is not cut by more than 15% over the next four years – the tipping point that we identified to the Chancellor some months ago.

Council had already indicated they will seek to minimise the effect of any cuts to the portfolio of arts organisations we regularly fund and will consider the overall position when it meets on 25 October. We will now be analysing the details of the settlement and the consequences for the arts in this country as a whole.

We will announce how we will be implementing the cuts shortly after, and will then get on with the job in hand. It will be a tough task but we are determined to manage the cuts in the best possible way for the benefit of the whole arts and cultural sector.

Thank you for all your efforts in making the case for the arts. Although the settlement is tough I believe we did get the message through that the arts matter - but in a tough context for public spending.  If you would like to forward this message to your networks please do so.

Alan

Alan Davey
Chief Executive
Arts Council England