Arts Council greets Minister’s Announcement 22nd December 2004 The Arts Council of Northern Ireland welcomes yesterday’s announcement by Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister, Angela Smith MP, of an additional £15.5 million for arts facilities in Belfast, but warns of inadequate resources to meet operational costs. Rosemary Kelly , Chairman of the Arts Council, said:“This injection of money into the built infrastructure in Belfast is very much welcomed, as is the recognition by Minister Angela Smith that the city requires substantial capital investment in its arts facilities. The Arts Council has long argued that improved arts facilities are essential to the social and economic regeneration of Belfast. Indeed, the city’s infrastructural deficiencies were highlighted last year by Belfast’s disappointing failure to progress in its bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2008. However, it is important that we are all aware that the concurrent reduction in the Arts Council’s own annual grant-in-aid allocation from Central Government, announced in the latest budget, means that finding the resources to meet the operational costs of these facilities will require further consideration.” Despite the strong opposition of the arts community to the reduction of arts spending proposed in the draft budget for Northern Ireland, following the Revised Northern Ireland Budget, published on Monday, Treasury support for artists and organisations will fall by £1.5 million during the financial period 2005-2008. From April 2005, the Arts Council’s annual budget allocation from Central Government, already squeezed at £11,052,000, will be reduced to £10,780,000. Ms Kelly continued, “There is already a concerning disparity in terms of spending per head of population on the arts in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, and the gulf is widening. This is a sad state of affairs, because it is not just our arts that will suffer, but our whole society will lose out. The Arts Council will do everything within its power to safeguard its clients against the full impact of these economy savings and, at least in the short term, we are fortunate to have our Lottery resource to draw upon. Nevertheless, the budget announcement will come as a blow to the arts sector, much of which is already in a vulnerable condition. Whilst investment in the built infrastructure of Belfast is greatly appreciated it does not address the core problem of persistent under funding. The maintenance of new facilities and the artistic programming they provide, will compound the pressures on the Arts Council, now working within new budgetary constraints. The harsh reality is that the shortfall in funding available to artists and organisations from 2005 will make it increasingly difficult to provide the necessary financial support to meet current demand, let alone redress the underlying need.” NOTES TO EDITORS
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