The opinion of those who believe that the Arts in the UK is severely unfunded has arguably been strengthened by a recent news article published the Tagesspiegel newspaper in Germany.

Approaching a billion

They reported that Berlin's Ministry of Culture and Social Cohesion budget for 2024/2025 will be 927 million Euros — rising to the cusp of 1 billion Euros by the end of 2025.

The figure sits in stark contrast to the amount available to Arts Council England, which currently invests around £450 million a year (from 2023) across the whole of England, with the London region given around £152 million.

In the last announcement for 2023 -2026, theatres in London were given around £111 million a year with libraries just £4 million. Many of the major artistic venues and producers suffered cuts — including the high profile ones made to English National Opera and the National Theatre.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, stated when the 2023 figures were announced that London's arts funding "could not have come at a worse time as arts organisations already face a triple whammy of spiralling operating costs, soaring energy bills, and the impact of both the pandemic and the cost of living crisis on audience figures".

However, critics have also pointed out that direct grant help from London City Hall's £17 billion budget is also inadequate and misdirected.

BBC

Meanwhile, the BBC recently confirmed that it spent just £39 million on Arts and Music in 2022/2023.

In contrast news and current affairs soaked up £342 million, Film and Drama, £397 million and Entertainment and Comedy £244 million. It also missed its target on producing 175 hours of output — managing just 131 hours in total.

Pressure

At the recent South Bank Sky Arts Awards both host Melvyn Bragg and a host of winners spoke of the desperate need to maintain pressure on the government and Arts Council England to prioritise and improve arts and cultural funding.

"We must take them on," Melvyn Bragg said. "The Arts need more not less. The Arts need freedom. We mustn't let them win."

The Berlin announcement was made by the CDU Party Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion, Joe Chialo.

"We must take them on," Melvyn Bragg said. "The Arts need more not less. The Arts need freedom. We mustn't let them win."4BR

Berlin boost

Although overall figure is only a slight increase from 2023, it was also announced that funding had also been secured for the 478 million Euro refurbishment of the Komische Opera as well as budgets to restrain increases in ticket prices.

Money has also been made available to provide fees for freelance guides in museums, exhibition halls and memorials, increase grant payments to youth theatres, invest 15 million Euros in a Digital Transformation Fund and another 5 million Euros in 'Post-Corona Hardship' payments.

Extra funding is being made available to protect its acclaimed 'space offensive' which sees funding for the city's current 2000 cultural spaces with the aim of adding 500 more as part of an aim to double the amount by 2030.

Support

The regional Senate stated that it wished to show its support in promoting "the resilience of Berlin's culture".

Funding for the Arts in the city has long been seen as important with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel ensuring Berlin's cultural institutions and additional 25.7 million Euros of funding to meet their artistic needs as far back as 2017.

There are understood to be around 20,000 artists living and working in Berlin.