Pulse report: Local Authority Funding 2024

After years of reduced central government funding, local authorities across the UK have had little choice but to cut back on non-statutory spending, including funding for arts and culture.

AP’s survey aimed to gain an overview of the impact of these cuts and to generate a better understanding of the creative strategies arts organisations are developing in response to build a more resilient future.

Our thanks to the more than 500 people who responded. The results have been illuminating.​

Pulse survey Local Authority Funding: Read the full report

The survey was conducted throughout March 2024 and early April 2024. The majority of respondents come from performing arts organisations, though just under a third work in museums, heritage or libraries. Freelancers account for just under a quarter of all responses.​

The overall picture is stark. Local authorities are the largest funders of arts and culture in the UK, and more than three quarters of respondents have seen their funding cut, or expect it to be cut soon. The cuts are affecting not only direct funding, but also the number of officers working to promote and develop arts and culture in our communities. ​

There were other unequivocal responses. Partial cuts are preferred over funding being removed entirely; the sector would like local authorities work with them to attract funding from other sources; there is a resistance to outsourcing / spinning off culture from councils to into trusts; organisations are increasing turning to trusts and foundations to plug the gap, but capacity from those funds is limited; and ther is an increasing reliance on earned income.

Follow the links below for further analysis of the reponses.

Local authority funding survey 2024: preliminary findings  Initial findings from Arts Professional’s latest Pulse survey on local authority funding reveal councils are selling off venues and ‘spinning out’ arts and culture to independent entities to save money.

LA funding survey: Fears of ‘unsustainable’ strain on trusts  Council cuts to arts budgets have left charitable trusts and foundations ‘overwhelmed’ with applications for funding as arts and culture organisations attempt to source alternative income.

LA funding survey: Commercial mindset increasingly important Business acumen within arts organisations is necessary in the face of local authority funding cuts, survey findings suggest.

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the survey.

Ruth Hogarth,
Editor, Arts Professional