Petition Response from David Ruse, Tri-borough Director of Libraries and
Archives
Date sent: 17th May 2013
Dear Cllr Dimoldenberg
Your petition asking the Council to 'reject proposals to cut the entire
£350,000 a year budget for Arts and Culture over the next two years' has
now closed for the collection of signatures. The petition received 901
signatures.
As the relevant Chief Officer, I have carefully considered the petition and
set out the Council’s response below.
The Council has introduced many large scale innovations to reduce costs,
including our Tri-borough programme. However, a combination of factors,
including how the government calculates the funding of local authorities,
and unavoidable demand-led pressures, has meant the Council has had to take
some difficult decisions to reduce expenditure in non-statutory areas.
In preparing budget proposals all areas of Council expenditure and income
have been closely scrutinized by Cabinet Members, and through the Scrutiny
Committee process. The decision to end the arts commissioning and
initiatives budgets was not taken lightly and has been deliberately phased
over a two year period to give existing funded organisations time to
adjust.
In 2013/14 we have awarded contracts valued at £192,500 to fund arts and
cultural activities for older people, disability groups and vulnerable
adults.
We have taken steps to mitigate the impact of phasing out the commissioning
budget:
• By April 2014 we will have given existing groups 12 months notice and
support to secure alternative funding.
• Our Arts officers will continue to offer advice and information to Arts
organisations on alternative funding sources, including encouraging use of
Ward budgets for programmes of arts activity.
• The Arts officers will also help organisations to link up with
potential partners, particularly brokering links with key council
commissioners for elderly, disability and vulnerable adults.
The City Council does value the contribution made by community arts
projects and activities to the quality of life of residents and in an ideal
world we would continue to commission such work. However the Council’s
role as a funding body cannot be sustained in this financial climate.
Accordingly, I regret to inform you that this Petition has been denied.
Yours sincerely
Petition information -
http://petitions.westminster.gov.uk/artsandculture/