Public Art Funding Cuts

So the news is in - and it's not great for institutions who deliver public art.

Beam in Wakefield, Artpoint in Oxford, Commissions East in Cambridge and the Kielder Partnership in Northumberland have all suffered 100% cuts to their Arts Council funding. Previously all were Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs). It remains to be seen whether they will survive, although it will clearly be easier for organisations who can adapt and extend their reach.

On the positive side, IXIA (the national thinktank for public art) has survived but with a 15% cut. Liverpool Biennial has received a 9.2% increase although they have already been affected by the disappearance of the Regional Development Agency who contributed some support.

ArtAngel in London has got a 19.2% uplift and some of the architecture centres have also retained their funding (although not all).

A new National Portfolio Organisation in London is UP Projects who will receive £104,000 starting in 2014/15.

You can see a map of where the 100% cuts have taken place:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/mar/30/arts-council-cuts-map
or you can see a list of them here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/mar/30/arts-council-cuts-list-funding

The full list of organisations still getting funding, and new organisations, is here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/mar/30/arts-council-funding-decisions-list

Performance in the public realm seems to have done quite well, with Kendal Arts International (responsible for Mintfest) becoming an NPO with around £300k a year, and In Between Time in Bristol, which supports experimental performance art, getting around £200k a year.

So....what is the future for public realm commissioning in the UK? Watch this space.