National Alliance for Cultural Services launches

The National Alliance for Cultural Services has been launched in a bid to provide a collective voice for local government cultural services.

Made up of eight organisations including the Local Government Association (LGA), the Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association, and the County Councils Network, the alliance is calling for a fresh approach to sustain culture services in the future.

Its launch comes in the same week a survey conducted by LGA found 34% of councils think they need to make cutbacks across arts and culture to try to balance the books.

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In addition to providing a collective voice for local government cultural services, the alliance wants to 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.

The other members of the alliance include Key Cities, a national network involving 27 UK cities, Core Cities, an alliance of 11 UK cities, as well as the District Councils Network, London Councils and the Rural Services Network.

'Workable approaches'

Chair of the new alliance Val Birchall, who represents the Chief Culture and Leisure Officers Association said: “We believe in the value of culture in ensuring thriving places and communities and are concerned that action is taken now to secure a sustainable future for these services.

"The new alliance offers expert knowledge and expertise across the local government cultural sector.

"Through the alliance we are signalling our desire to work collaboratively with policy makers at a national level and offer our support to develop approaches that respond to local need and are workable on the ground.”

Liz Green, Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said the benefits of local cultural services far outweigh the cost.

"Cultural services help to boost local economies by driving high street footfall, support creative industries and the visitor economy," she said.

"They also promote better wellbeing and support educational outcomes while bringing joy and hope to people across society.

"Cultural services help to make communities the sort of places that everyone wants to live and work in, however once a venue is gone, it is gone forever.

"Councils need a sustainable and fair funding settlement to allow them to invest in these essential community services.”