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Councils are the biggest public funder of culture. However, this core funding has come under huge strain in recent years because of pressure on budgets. We commissioned a series of infographics to illustrate the challenges and opportunities in cultural funding which councils are facing.
Councils are the biggest public funder of culture, spending over £1bn a year on a range of local services, including libraries, museums and galleries, theatres, heritage sites and archives. This figure rises to £2.6bn when sports, leisure, parks and green spaces are included.
But this core funding has come under huge strain in recent years as a result of pressure on council budgets and rising demand for vital statutory services like adult social care. Between 2010 and 2024 annual spend on culture and leisure services saw a real-terms annual spending fall of £2.324 billion.
National funders provide additional funding, but the funding picture is complex and the capacity of councils to bid into different pots can be varied. In addition, many of these funding streams have their own governance arrangements which do not necessarily work with other local structures, creating a messy and inefficient landscape.
The LGA commissioned a series of infographics to illustrate the challenges in cultural funding which councils are facing. They illustrate how stretched council resources have become as demand for services like social care take up a greater proportion of council budgets; and how a multitude of small, short-term funding pots leave officers chasing funding, rather than working towards a long-term vision agreed with their own community.
Cultural funding infographics
Under Pressure: councils spending on culture and leisure
The first infographic illustrates the pressures on core council funding for culture.
Download an accessible PDF of the under pressure: councils spending on culture and leisure infographic
The complex landscape of fragmented funding for culture
The second infographic illustrates how many different national funding pots are currently needed to piece together a local cultural strategy.
Download an accessible PDF for the complex landscape of fragmented funding for culture infographic
The cultural governance jigsaw
The third and final infographic illustrates how confused governance arrangements for culture can be locally as a result of national initiatives.
Download an accessible PDF for the cultural governance jigsaw infographic
Summary
The next government will need to simplify and streamline existing funding pots to ensure the limited amount goes further and has a more lasting positive impact for places.
A long-term, sustainable, multi-year funding settlement would allow councils to invest in community services. National funders for culture could help to make their money go further by further developing their place-based working and providing more coordinated support for local cultural strategies.
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