Art News From Art Calendr

Art newsisn't featured much but now with the election in process

, whichever party leads the next government, the key issue for arts will be funding as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport faces budget cuts in 2011-12.

With the UK general election taking place on 6 May, the governing Labour Party's election manifesto includes detailed commitments to the arts, unlike that of the centre-right Conservative opposition. Indeed it figures as one of the 50 steps which the Labour Party promises for a fairer Britainthe summary of 50 national commitments which conclude the manifesto.

The party states it will give operational independence for major museums and galleries, with more lottery funding returning to the arts, sport and culture after 2012. To implement this, new legislation will ensure managerial and financial autonomy for national museums.

In a surprise move, Labour also says in the manifesto it will give public institutions new rights to borrow works of art from the national collection, so that more people can benefit from access to our national artistic heritage.'' This is a new commitment, and although very vaguely worded, it refers to the Government Art Collection. The manifesto also includes a renewed commitment to free admission to national museums.

The Conservatives have only a single sentence on the arts in their manifesto. This promises that the proportion of National Lottery funding going to the arts will be reinstated to the original 20%. Previously, the Conservatives had also promised more independence for national museums, although this does not figure in their manifesto.

The Liberal Democratic manifesto is the most detailed of any of the three on the arts. It promises to maintain free entry to national museums, to open up the Government Art Collection for greater public use,'' and to reform the National Lottery by changing the tax system to benefit the arts.

However, whichever party firms the next government on 7 May, the key issue for arts will be funding. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will almost certainly face budget cuts in 2011-12, and the question then will be how DCMS will share outto the organisations which it funds.

by: Artists

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