An update from Erica Love on our activity in relation to culture invesment cuts

An update from Erica Love, CEO, Culture Central 

Firstly, I want to express my thanks to you all for supporting the #CultureMatters campaign we launched last week. Its been uplifting to hear how important Culture and Creativity are to you all. 

It has certainly been a hard few weeks for Birmingham, with the significant funding cuts to culture, catalysing important conversations about the regional and national picture of local authority investment which is so necessary right now.  Culture Central and I will continue to be a leading voice in those conversations in the region. 

As well as the Culture Matters campaign, I wanted to update you on the work we have been doing both publicly and with local and national government and other regional stakeholders and with our members since the section 114 announcement.  

After the initial announcement of Birmingham City Council’s section 114 notice and our collective statement, we wrote to the commissioners on behalf of our members and affiliates to advocate for the sector, meeting with cabinet members and officers to explore what opportunities or activity we could support with.   

We were made aware of the scale of the proposed cuts in late 2023, leading us to write to all councillors, MPs and national government in January this year to ask them to advocate for four things:

• To retain the investment 

• To ensure the city retains capacity to strategically support the cultural sector and deliver a ‘Plan for Culture’   

• Collaboration to identify and realise new cultural investment opportunities 

• Lobbying and support to maintain and expand Creative Industries Tax Relief   

I am continuing to speak with the city council,  cross-sector partners and WMCA to find where there are opportunities for collaboration to realise additional investment as well as how they can support and protect the sector in other ways during these challenging times.  

I know that this is a concerning time for everyone at the moment, but we know the power culture has on people and places and we believe in the strength of working collectively. We will work with you all to champion and support the whole wonderful and complex ecology of organisations, artists and cultural assets in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Header image: Saif-Ul-Malook Orchestra Safar Ul Ishq – The Hymns of Saints is set in Mirpur, Kashmir/ Transforming Narratives