News Budget Consultation - how you can help

As you may be aware, Birmingham City Council has recently launched a public consultation process on its budget plans from April 2012 onwards, and we thought it would be of interest to you as a customer and supporter of DanceXchange to hear how the city’s plans are affecting our work.

DanceXchange receives funding from Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England; generates earned income through ticket sales, participation fees, and venue hire; and attracts further support through Trusts and Foundations and a range of strategic partnerships. 17% of our funding is generated from the City Council – and this is vital in levering all our other funding and support.

As part of its response to the government’s public spending cuts, the City Council has already substantially reduced the level of funding it gives to all the arts organisations in the city. In April this year, DanceXchange’s revenue grant was cut by 15%, a cash reduction of £17,877.

To cope with this reduction, we have made cuts to administration and streamlined our programme – and we are now striving to maximise all our revenue streams and to generate new sources of income through sponsorship and philanthropic giving.

Whilst we fully recognise that we cannot be exempt from the public spending cuts being imposed at the moment, there are few options available for reducing costs without severely damaging our programme of work.

We fear that any further reductions in City Council funding will lead to a serious downward spiral in which the inevitable cuts to our artistic activity will severely restrict our potential to generate income, and could lead to withdrawal of the funding we have secured from additional sources. This would destabilise our core artistic programme and limit our ability to develop major projects such as International Dance Festival Birmingham  which add significant value to the cultural offer of the city – creating employment, contributing to the local economy, attracting visitors, inspiring audiences, nurturing artistic talent, and engaging people of all ages and backgrounds in healthy dance activity.

How you can help

Birmingham’s arts infrastructure has, for so long, been a vital tool in the city’s aim to improve the quality of life for its citizens, its inward investment performance, and its status as a true global city.

The creative industries have a hugely beneficial impact, with Birmingham-based cultural organisations contributing £271m to the region’s economy each year. This is generated from almost 2 million attendances, with arts attenders generating £40m in Additional Visitor Spend (AVS). This represents a return on investment of £29 for every £1 that Birmingham City Council spends on funding the arts.

All of the city’s arts organisations believe we are now at the tipping point where incremental reductions in costs are no longer achievable. If you share our concerns and would not want to see Birmingham City Council reduce its funding to the independent arts organisations any further, I would urge you to make your views known to the City Council before the end of November, by:

•  filling out an online survey at www.birmingham.gov.uk/budgetviews
•  emailing to budget_views@birmingham.gov.uk
•  texting your message to 07786 200 403 (starting with the word ‘Budget’ followed by a space)
•  writing to Budget Views, Room B119, Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB

You may have received a similar plea from other arts organisations across the city, and we would urge you to respond to any one of us. Representation needs to be made before the end of November in order to be effective.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your continuing support of DanceXchange.

David Massingham
Artistic Director

Image: Visible Dancing from International Dance Festival Birmingham 2010. Photographer: Ed Moore.