We shouldn’t only blame government
T’S hard, even with Athena’s immortal memory, to think of a time when the public funding for the Arts looked much bleaker than it does at present. The squeeze on local councils continues and, as large numbers plead insolvency—or approach it—it becomes impossible, even for the most optimistic, not to see what the implications must be). In this sphere, only library services are categorised as a statutory responsibility. Nor is there any realistic prospect of help from central government. That’s in part because, for better or worse, there are no votes to be had from investing in this sector. Spare a special thought as well for Northern Ire-land, where the suspension of the Stormont Assembly has caused funding to be frozen and some extra sources, including those for ‘levelling up’, to be temporarily withheld.
