Otley Courthouse: the little community arts centre that could

Yorkshire Bylines

17 Jan 2025

Article
by David Robson

These are difficult times for arts, culture and community provision generally. Between 2010 and 2020, local authorities suffered cuts in their central government support grants of 40% in real terms – leading to cuts in services and increases in council tax. The arts are not a core function of local government, and it is not surprising that the Campaign for the Arts found a halving of culture spending by local councils between 2010 and 2024. At the same time (2010–2023) central government funding for the arts fell by 18%.