Live Art UK statement on Arts Council England NPO announcement

Live Art UK is a national network of Live Art promoters and facilitators, whose 24 core members work together to develop the Live Art infrastructure for the benefit of artists and audiences.

Live Art UK is pleased to report that the 15 members of the network who currently have Arts Council England (ACE) NPO status will continue to be supported as NPO organisations in 2015-18. Of those 15 organisations, 11 are regionally based and four are in London, representing an investment balance of 73% regional and 27% London, and reflecting a markedly different ratio than the average 53% regional and 47% London investment across the new ACE portfolio.

Generally, Live Art has fared well in the new NPO portfolio, with excellent representation across the length and breadth of the country. This support is a strong endorsement of Live Art’s exciting and important profile and presence in the UK.

Live Art UK remains cautious, however, about the prospect of further cuts to public funding and their impact. For 2014/15 alone, Arts Council England has been forced to implement three cuts to NPOs, resulting in an overall 4% reduction to their annual grant. Multiple funding cuts within one year not only means less money for organisations (as well as more work for ACE, administering these changes across its NPO portfolio), but also affects all organisations’ capacities to plan effectively and could be seen as a process of slow attrition.

Live Art UK appreciates ACE’s endeavors to create a balanced portfolio which recognizes the contributions of major institutions and of independent and artist-led initiatives to the UK’s cultural life, and looks forward to working with ACE to ensure that risk and innovation will continue to be supported in the face of continuing cuts.

Live Art UK also appreciates ACE’s commitment to increasing the budget for Grants for the Arts to £70 million per annum in 2015-18, ensuring that individual artists and companies and non-NPO arts organisations also have opportunities to access resources to create great art for everyone.

Live Art UK members wish to take this opportunity to thank Arts Council England for its support for Live Art, and all of the many artists and audiences who contribute to our collective work.

More information about ACE funding decisions.