The North East is trailing behind when it comes to Arts Council 'levelling up' investment, claims a body of arts organisations in the region.
The reaction comes from The North East Culture Partnership following Arts Council England's recent announcement of the recipients of its 'national portfolio' funding for 2023-26, which include a range of local venues, such as museums and galleries, that have welcomed the three-year boost.
But NECP, which is made up of North East practitioners, local authorities, universities, colleges, businesses and voluntary organisations joining forces to champion the arts, claims the region has received the lowest increase in the investment outside of London.
Read more: The 55 North East recipients of Arts Council investment
Following the Arts Council's announcement of its new national portfolio of organisations, it says that in a bid to redistribute funding more equally across the country as part of the Government’s ‘levelling-up' programme, areas outside of London were given a significant uplift compared to previous award periods. The North East received 34% more National Portfolio Organisation awards in 2023-26 compared with 2018-22.
But NECP says: "This amounts to just 17% higher investment in grant value and just 16% increase per head when you consider the population in the region. This is the lowest increase outside of London."
Matthew Jarratt, NECP partnership manager, said: “While we appreciate there has been a ‘levelling-up’ across the country, and celebrate the allocation of more funding outside of the capital, we’re disappointed to see the North East trailing behind other regions. We are working on refreshing our Case for Culture, through a post-pandemic lens and with considerations around the current cost of living and energy crises."
He added: "The announcement this week demonstrates that this is still very much needed and we will continue to push for further investment in arts, culture and heritage in the region.” The rest of the north - North West, Yorkshire and Humberside - fared better than the North East, receiving 31% more funding per head, said NECP, and The Midlands awarded an increase of almost 24% per head, with around 44% more NPO grants.
Matthew said that "as expected" the Arts Council announcement brought disappointment to the arts and culture sector in London, where the funding increase amounted to just 4.68% per head and many organisations lost out on NPO status, but he said funding per head in the capital now sits at £16.88 compared to the investment of just £9.10 per head in the North East "so we still have a way to go to achieve equity".
For the NECP’s full report on the Arts Council funding in the region see the Case for Culture website here. For more about awards made in and around Newcastle, which will see the Arts Council make a total national portfolio investment in the region of £73.1m over the three-year period, see here.
Jane Tarr, Arts Council England director of the North, has said the investment boost will help more people across the North East to enjoy culture and creative activities where they live, and place creativity at the core of communities.
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