The draft budget for Northern Ireland was announced on Wednesday 15 December and includes a 9.3 per cent cut to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) over four years.

A reminder that the deadline for applications for Arts Council England’s new national portfolio funding programme is 10.00am on 24 January 2011. Applications received after this time cannot be considered.

Plans for the Government’s philanthropy scheme were set out by the Secretary of State for Culture, Jeremy Hunt, in a speech at the European Association for Philanthropy and Giving (EAPG)’s annual conference on Wednesday 8 December.

As previewed in last week’s Bulletin, the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee held a further oral evidence session in its ongoing inquiry into arts funding on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey announced the transfer of responsibilities for museums and libraries development.

The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee continues its inquiry into arts and heritage funding with a fifth session of oral evidence.

Key cultural organisations in Scotland have been widely protected in the draft budget announced in Holyrood on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Welsh Assembly Government published its Draft Budget 2011-12. It was announced that as of 2011/12, ACW’s budget for arts programmes would be reduced by 4 per cent over the next three years.

It was announced this week that on Wednesday 15 December 2010 the CMS Committee will take evidence on the new BBC licence fee settlement.

On Wednesday, when fifty thousand students arrived in central London to protest against the coalition Government's proposed cut in university funding and rise in tuition fees,

On Wednesday, Somerset County Council voted to cut its £159,000 funding pot for arts organisations in the area following the Government’s recent spending review.

In the aftermath of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), Somerset County Council became the first local authority to announce that it was considering axing all of its arts funding.

On Thursday the Arts Council England (ACE), published ‘Achieving Art for Everyone’ a ten-year strategy that has been formulated following a consultation process that began in 2009. Over 2,500 people took part in the consultation, with many demanding a more flexible funding system.

In the wake of last week’s Comprehensive Spending Review the National Council of Arts Council England met on Monday afternoon to discuss the funding settlement and plans for implementing the 29.6 per centcuts.

It was announced in Wednesday’s Comprehensive Spending Review that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)will have its budget cut by 25 percent, from £1.9 billion to £1.1 billion by 2014-15.

Following consultation earlier this summer, the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has announced that the National Lottery will be reformed, bringing an extra £50 million each to arts, sport and heritage.

“15% CUTS TO FRONTLINE ARTS BETTER THAN FEARED, BUT CONCERNS REMAIN” - NCA DIRECTOR, LOUISE DE WINTER

The Northern Ireland Executive is in the process of drafting a new Programme for Government for 2011-2015.  As part of this initiative, a new set of Public Service Agreements (PSAs) will be outlined, including spending priorities, objectives and targets for the arts.

Minutes from the third Culture Forum meeting are now available online. 

Following the announcement earlier this summer that a £26.4 million scheme that funds arts companies across the city, including flagship organisations such as the Tricycle Theatre, Tamasha, Orange Tree and the Independent Theatre Council, is likely to be scrapped, London Councils has launched a consultation to establish the best way of using its grant resources.