Freedom of information request and response
Subject: Funding to Councils in Yorkshire and London
Request ref: 10677
Date of response: 24/02/2014
Supporting docs: Funding spreadsheet
Please note: this response was correct at the time of release
Request:
How much Arts Council funding has been awarded to councils in Yorkshire broken down by local authority - for 2013/2014? Can it be categorised or broken
down further according to purpose of funding?
How much Arts Council funding has been awarded to councils in London - broken
down by local authority - for 2013/2014? Can it be categorised or broken down
further according to purpose of funding?
How much Arts Council funding was awarded to councils in Yorkshire - broken
down by local authority - for 2012/2013? Can it be categorised or broken down
further according to purpose of funding?
How much Arts Council funding has been awarded to councils in London - broken
down by local authority - for 2012/2013? Can it be categorised or broken down
further according to purpose of funding?
How much Arts Council funding has been awarded to councils in Yorkshire broken down by local authority - for 2011/2012? Can it be categorised or broken
down further according to purpose of funding?
How much Arts Council funding has been awarded to councils in London - broken
down by local authority - for 2011/2012? Can it be categorised or broken down
further according to purpose of funding?
Response:
Please find attached an Excel sheet detailing the response to your questions.
NB: The table details information regarding funding (Grant in aid & Lottery) made
to individuals and organisations with a resident address (as per application form) in
Arts Council England, The Hive, 49 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1FN www.artscouncil.org.uk
Phone: 0845 300 6200 Fax: 44 (0)161 934 4426 Textphone: 44 (0)20 7973 6564 Email:enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk
Arts Council England is the trading name for The Arts Council of England. Registered charity no 1036733
London or Yorkshire and the Humber (across the 33 London boroughs and 21
Yorkshire local authorities) and is in regards to grants over 3 years and across 8
artform areas. Grant awards are split by year in which the decision to award the
grant was made - grant awards may be spent by the recipient organisation over
several years dependent on project length. However, it is important to note that
the funding of National Portfolio Organisations, Major Partner Museums & Music
Education Hubs (pre-2012 the National Portfolio Organisations were referred to as
‘Regularly Funded Organisations’) have their total awards separated into the
allocated year spend (as opposed to the decision year) on the spreadsheet (as we
have this information available to us).
In addition to our FOI response above, we would like to take this opportunity to
provide you with some additional contextual information in respect to these funding
figures;
The Arts Council is about to publish two documents that you may find useful for
context. The first is our submission to the Culture, Media and Sport Select
Committee inquiry (further information available here) which we will make public
on Tuesday the 25th February. The second is the publication of our own analysis of
regional funding, This England; this will also be available on Tuesday.
Our role is to direct our investment strategically, to support organisations and
artists to develop and evolve their work, to the benefit of the whole arts and
cultural ecology across the entire country. The importance of ensuring the widest
access and reach of arts and culture is a key part of our work and plays a
prominent role in our 10 year strategy Great Art and Culture for Everyone, this
strategy is available as a pdf on our website.
The breakdown of figures that you have been given should not be taken in
isolation of their context. The arts sector in this country has evolved over time.
Where organisations and artists are based is the result of personal preference,
history, and the initiative and ambition of local partners. Organisations and artists
make positive connections nationally, with activity benefitting the whole country.
The majority of all Arts Council investment is made outside London. Over the last
three years more than 70% of our lottery investment has funded projects outside
London, or on projects which benefit the whole country. Over the lifetime of the
lottery this has been 60%. Our strategic funds are playing a vital role in building
capacity and demand as part of our strategy towards funding outside London.
Creative People and Places is entirely about building local partnerships to achieve
this. Of our Capital investments up to 2011/12 about £1 billion, 35% of our total
Arts Council England, The Hive, 49 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1FN www.artscouncil.org.uk
Phone: 0845 300 6200 Fax: 44 (0)161 934 4426 Textphone: 44 (0)20 7973 6564 Email:enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk
Arts Council England is the trading name for The Arts Council of England. Registered charity no 1036733
lottery income was invested in 63 major projects, of which £628 million was spent
outside London.
Touring allows us to ensure people can access the best work around the country.
London has a higher number of these companies than any other region, 53% of its
portfolio, of which 78% of activity happens outside London. While organisations
with London postcodes received 42% of the value of our Strategic Touring
programme, only 8% of that value was delivered there.
Arts Council funding must be considered alongside that of others such as local
authorities. Our investment in local areas is often made in partnership with local
authorities to realise shared outcomes and strategic ambitions to embed the arts in
public life –and to create a strong cultural offer encompassing the arts, libraries
and museums sectors and encouraging greater collaboration between these
sectors.
The Arts Council brings an expert national overview and local reach; local
government has the depth of understanding of the communities it serves. Together
we maximise our resources and shared ambitions. Local government’s
commitment to arts and culture remains vital to the sector and pressure on their
funds in the single greatest threat to a sustainable future for art and culture
provision across England. We will continue to work with councils who invest in
culture. Given the scale of the funding challenge ahead we will not be able to
replace all lost funding, but we remain determined to find creative ways to
underpin ambition outside in the regions – where local authority cuts bite hard.
Arts Council England, The Hive, 49 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1FN www.artscouncil.org.uk
Phone: 0845 300 6200 Fax: 44 (0)161 934 4426 Textphone: 44 (0)20 7973 6564 Email:enquiries@artscouncil.org.uk
Arts Council England is the trading name for The Arts Council of England. Registered charity no 1036733