Funding blow (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Funding blow

1:00pm Friday 27th January 2012 in News By Simon Moss

CULTURAL groups in Basingstoke and Deane are set to be hit with an average six per cent cut in the funding they receive from the borough council.

Central Studio, Fairfields Arts Centre and eight other organisations will all lose out as the local authority seeks to save more than £100,000 from its arts and heritage budget.

Councillor Cathy Osselton, Cabinet member for housing, health and culture, will agree the changes next week – but she insisted the reductions will not come as a surprise to any group.

Cllr Osselton said: “We put an awful lot of money into culture, and we get a lot back for it as well. There are no surprises here for the organisations as we have worked with them over a number of years to find ways of working for less.

“We will continue to have a close partnership with all these groups so they can continue to provide excellent services for the people of Basingstoke and Deane.”

The Anvil Trust, which runs The Anvil and The Haymarket theatres, will see its grant of £1.2million drop to £1.1million – a five per cent cut – while Central Studio, based at Queen Mary’s College, in Cliddesden Road, will now receive £29,070, down from £32,285 last year.

Meanwhile, The Willis Museum, at the Top of The Town, will be hit with a five per-cent cut, reducing the money it receives to £92,435.

Kala the Arts, which was last year handed a £5,000 one-off grant, will no longer receive any funding despite requesting £22,000 for the next financial year.