A fresh approach is needed to sustain culture services in the future, according to a new partnership of organisations representing local government, including the LGA.
Councils are the biggest public funder of culture in England, but rising demand in adult and children’s social care and homelessness services, alongside a 23.3 per cent real-terms reduction in core spending power from 2010/11 to 2024/25, is squeezing all other budgets.
The new National Alliance for Cultural Services brings together the principal representative organisations for local government to: provide a collective voice for cultural services; offer a clear point of contact for consultation on these services with the experts who run them; inform debate on their funding and governance; and support councils to deliver and shape cultural services that meet the needs of their communities.
Cllr Liz Green, Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said: “Everybody has a right to access culture within their community, and while these services are under huge pressure, the benefits of them far outweigh the cost.
“Cultural services boost local economies by driving high-street footfall, and support creative industries and the visitor economy. They also promote wellbeing and support educational outcomes, while bringing joy and hope to people.
“Councils need sustainable and fair funding to invest in these essential community services.”