Bath & North East Somerset Council has confirmed it will continue to invest in Arts, Film and Tourism, and over the next three years will commission over £2 million of events, festivals and other activities.
In a statement, they said: “We are one of only two local authorities nationwide that actively brings together all strategic funders including Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery, Creative England, Visit England and the Local Enterprise Partnership to maximise culture, arts and tourism funding into the city and to support joint working of the funders themselves as part of a wider strategic approach to supporting the cultural sector.”
“The Council also owns and runs the Victoria Art Gallery that provides exhibitions, an artist in residence and a programme of creative interactive, arts based fun for young people as well as an internationally recognised Fashion Museum.
“This is in a city that annually hosts over six million visitors and 300 events, the majority of which don’t use Council funding.
“Over the past three years the Council has been able to support small arts activity through a grants scheme, which has operated alongside commissioned arts services.
“Commissioned arts services will continue over the next 3 years focussing on widening participation in the arts and culture across BaNES in our market towns and in some of our more deprived estates and the small arts grants fund will be wound down at the end of this financial year.
“The strategic approach to arts, culture and tourism in Bath to ensure it is resilient and sustainable in the face of a difficult funding environment for local authorities nationwide, is unique in the West of England.”
