Is £1.5 billion enough to save our culture?

As Athena went to press at the end of January, the Government announced a package of £1.5 billion capital spending ‘to restore national pride’.

According to the press release, the intention is to invest this sum in cultural organisations over five years, ‘turning the corner on underfunding over the last decade’. The bold promise is ‘to save more than 1,000 cherished Arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England from closure… fix urgent capital needs and open up access to culture for everyone, everywhere’. It goes on, ‘funding for our treasured cultural venues will ensure vital, affordable and welcoming spaces are available for communities to come together and celebrate what makes their local area special’.

The Culture Secretary is quoted as saying: ‘At a time when forces seek to divide us, arts, culture and heritage are what bind us together. Our local cultural institutions aren’t just buildings — they’re part of who we are… they help tell our national story, and provide unique opportunities for young people to pursue their dreams.’

We have heard similar effusions before, but not with the scale of financial backing promised here. This comprises £760 million for museums, the lion’s share of which — £600 million — will be for the infrastructure of national museums and Government-sponsored cultural organisations. The £160 million left ‘will be invested in our local and regional museums’, with the aim of dealing with maintenance backlogs and a transition towards ‘more sustainable business models’.

There will also be £425 million for about ‘300 capital projects in Arts venues across the country’; £230 million for ‘protecting and preserving heritage buildings, including listed places of worship’; £75 million for repairs to historic buildings at risk; £46 million for local communities ‘to take control of… local heritage and bring buildings back into public use’; £27.5 million for libraries and £80 million capital funding over four years ‘to benefit National Portfolio organisations that receive regular investment from Arts Council England’ (ACE).

A £92 million fund called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will replace the £23 million Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, promising these buildings ‘access to the same level of financial support from the government as historic houses, monuments and other heritage sites’.

Before rushing out to celebrate this news, however, Athena wants more detail. How much of this fund is really new money for culture as opposed to shuffled budgets? Who will administer it and — thinking of the ACE debacle — on what terms? Bluntly, also, is it enough? £300 million of this fund could go straight back to the Treasury as VAT and major museum projects are costly. The National Gallery has raised £375 million towards its forthcoming Domani Project (without Government help) and the proposed renovation of the British Museum will probably cost more than £1 billion.

Athena, therefore, welcomes this promised £1.5 billion spread over five years, but reserves judgement on how generous it really is.