Birmingham City Council is planning to make significant cuts to its culture budget over the next two years in order to address a budget deficit of £300m. Following its bankruptcy declaration last year, the council made a statement outlining the need to eliminate savings of over £300m during the two financial years coming up. The planned cuts, which are the largest in local authority history, will impact music venues, galleries, theatres, and other cultural institutions in Birmingham.
The budget cuts are aimed at several regularly funded arts organisations, including City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, IKON Gallery, and B:Music, with a 50% cut to funding at Sampad, a Birmingham-based arts centre. Birmingham International Dance Festival will see its funding cut by £350,000. Support for Black History Month and Birmingham Heritage Week will continue over the next two years, but face 100% cuts from 2025 to 2026.
Many cultural professionals and audiences across the UK have voiced alarm upon learning of the announcements, saying that Birmingham culture will continue to thrive despite setbacks. The cuts were made after the city council’s leaders and their previous administrations neglected to place enough value on culture, despite the proven social and economic benefits.
In addition to cultural funding cuts, the council also announced a 9.99% increase in council tax for the next two years, with a 21% rise in council tax projected by 2026. Council leaders have apologised unreservedly for both the significant spending reductions and the substantial council tax increase, but they insist that they have no other alternative but to address these financial challenges in order to put the council back on a sound footing
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