Arts Organizations in the UK Respond to Government Funding Cuts

The Financial Times reports on how UK arts organizations are responding to cuts by the British government to public funding for the country’s theaters, galleries, and museums. In addition to a one-third decrease in grants from Arts Council England over the last four years, more severe measures have been taken by many local governments.

As a result, some former rivals are now pooling their resources, such as Chisendale Gallery, the Showroom, and Studio Voltaire. The three London exhibition spaces collaborated on a proposal, “How to Work Together,” that won them £210,000 [US$349272] in matched funding through the Arts Council England’s Catalyst Arts private giving investment scheme. Cooperation is the new order of the day for both smaller and more established outfits as British arts organizations struggle to adjust to the challenges of presenting artistically ambitious programming despite almost universally slimmer pocket books.