Birmingham Council rubberstamps £3m-a-year for culture

Politicians in Birmingham have given the go-ahead for £9m to be set aside to support the arts and cultural sector in the city over the next three years.

At a meeting of Birmingham City Council's cabinet yesterday (21 March) grants totalling £2,976,151 per year for the next three financial years were approved.

Of this, £2,488,270 per annum will go to 10 arts organisations in the city that form part of Arts Council England's National Portfolio for the 2023-26 period.

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Organisations set to receive grants include Symphony Hall, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham Opera Company, Ikon Gallery, DanceXchange, Ex Catheda, and Sampad.

Meanwhile, local arts development funding of £487,881 per annum will be available for annual cultural events including Birmingham Heritage Week and Black History Month.

“It is vital that we invest in the city’s cultural offer alongside organisations such as the Arts Council, ensuring cultural activities are accessible and relevant to everyone,” said Councillor Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism.

“This is a golden decade of opportunity for the city and we are enabling Birmingham’s world-class arts sector to capitalise on that, by putting the talent in our city on a national and global stage.

“Along [with] supporting internationally known arts organisations and venues, this funding also supports local initiatives aimed at harnessing the power of culture to bring people together to celebrate the culture, heritage and stories of our city’s diverse communities.”

The funding level represents an increase compared with the last multi-year funding deal for the sector.

The council approved funding of £2.67m a year for the three-year period from 2019/20 to 2021/22, prior to agreeing "standstill" funding for the current financial year (2022/23).