Equity is urging Bristol City Council to drop plans to cut hundreds of thousands of pounds from the arts and culture budget. Equity members have written to Bristol City Council warning that cuts would do significant damage to jobs and cultural activities in Bristol, which is a UNESCO City of Film and famed for its culture offer.
The Council’s Finance Sub-Committee will meet this week (15-16 January) to consider proposals to make savings and funding cuts across the board. Last week Equity encouraged members who live or work in Bristol to submit a statement to the Council about why culture funding is so important.
The Cultural budget falls under the Strategy and Resources Committee which includes several draft proposals for savings under consideration. These include:
- The reduction and closure of the Cultural Investment Programme, with the intention to seek alternative funding. The proposal details that the current grantees will be honoured as per their grant agreement. This is estimated to generate a £635,000 saving between now and 2027.
- The closure of Blaise Museum (saving £39,000 by 2027).
- The closure of Georgian House Museum (saving £29,00 by 2027).
- The closure of Red Lodge Museum (saving £64,000 by 2027).
- Reducing the opening hours of the Archives Search Room (saving £35,000 by 2027).
The proposal to close the Cultural Investment Programme is especially concerning as it has been the lifeblood of stable funding for arts and cultural activities, festivals and partnerships. New applications for the Cultural Investment Programme were closed in October 2024. The Council says they will seek alternative funding, but there are not details for this, meaning individuals and organisations seeking arts funding will be left without a local government funding option.
This comes just months after Equity demanded that Bristol City Council keep their promise to engage in real and meaningful consultation about the proposed sale of Bottle Yard Studios.
Equity has submitted questions and a statement to the Council for consideration at this week’s meeting.
The Strategy and Resources Policy Committee will meet on 3 February and Equity will be organising campaign activity leading up to this meeting. Full council meets to make any final decisions on 25 February.
