UK arts funding: Nottingham institutions under threat as Windsor & Maidenhead pledges to maintain arts services

Nottingham Contemporary is among five organisations in the area to have been affected by council budget cuts this year
Photo: Stephen Finn / Alamy Stock Photo
After Suffolk County Council announced plans to completely cut all funding for arts facilities, another UK local authority—the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead—says it will try to retain its arts centres and museums.
In February 2022, the local member of parliament and former prime minister Theresa May raised concerns over a complete cut in council funding for the Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead, which offers art courses such as “Paul Klee’s Imagined Fish and Birds”.
In 2021 the council reduced funding for the institution from £158,000 to £80,000; £115,000 was awarded to the centre from 2022-23. The UK newspaper The Observer reported that “no cultural funds appear in the next budget [2024-25]” from the council, with Norden Farm Centre for the Arts at risk again.
Councillor Joshua Reynolds, a Liberal Democrat cabinet member for communities and leisure, tells The Art Newspaper: “There was a change of administration last May when we took control of the council. The former Conservative regime wanted to cut its funding to zero. We have agreed a one-year funding deal with the [Norden Farm Centre] and have made it clear that we want a three-year funding deal [with the institution] which we have been unable to implement this year because of various pressures.” Council funding will also be maintained for the Royal Berkshire Archives in Reading.
Another UK council, Nottingham City Council, is however reviewing its funding for arts and culture facilities after issuing a section 114 notice—which means that no new expenditure is permitted with the exception of funding for statutory services—last month. According to the UK Museums Association, the local authority warned that it is facing a £53m gap in its budget for the next financial year.
Five organisations, including the contemporary art gallery Nottingham Contemporary, received £198,000 in total this year (2023-24) compared to £232,000 from 2022-23. The council's budget proposals for 2024-25 outline a plan to “cease contributions to the cultural sector”.
The council says it is embarking on a Delivery Model Assessment (DMA) to identify alternative means of delivering museum services. The assessment “is still ongoing,” says a museum spokesperson. “It is being externally-led and is currently consulting with a range of funders, sector bodies, and national, regional and local partners. The public will also be consulted as part of the process.”
The Observer points out that spending on each resident by councils in England, excluding on education, fell by almost a quarter in real terms between 2009-10 and 2019-20, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. More and more UK councils are slashing arts funding, which is generally non-statutory (not mandated by law).

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