LOCAL CAMPAIGN

Tell RBWM – I oppose the 100% cut in arts funding

The public consultation ended on 31 January 2022.

You can still write to your councillor – click here to find their contact details.

This page is preserved for archive purposes.

Back to petition

1️⃣ Open the Consultation

Click on the button below to open RBWM’s official Consultation in a new window or tab. You will then be able to refer to this page as you complete the consultation.

Your responses will be sent directly to RBWM and the Public Campaign for the Arts will not be able to see them.

Click here to open the Consultation

If the button isn’t working, click here.

2️⃣ Tell the Council your views

You may find the following guidance helpful for supporting local arts and culture.

These are only suggestions. You may wish to depart from the guidance in order that your consultation response reflects your own, sincere view.

Question 6

Consider selecting ‘Place‘.

We believe that residents shouldn’t have to choose between cultural services and other services – it isn’t an either/or, and all of these services are important.

In the context of the Council threatening a total abolition of arts funding, selecting ‘Place’ is an effective way of registering opposition to this move.

6) If we had more funding, which services do you think we should prioritise for investment?*

  • Adults, Health and Housing (delivering adult social care, public health, housing services, environmental health and trading standards)
  • Children’s Services (assisting with adoption, youth counselling and high needs support)
  • Law & Strategy (Democratic Services, Electoral Services and Information Governance)
  • Place (creating conditions for jobs and growth as well as delivering planning, transport, leisure and cultural services)
  • Resources (management and delivery of public library service, resident administrative support and other customer services)

Question 7

Mention ‘Grant funding for the arts‘ and tell the Council it ‘should not be reduced‘.

You may wish to specify other priorities.

7) What are the top three investments you would like in the Borough? What are your priorities?*

Question 8

Consider withholding agreement, which could be used to justify the proposed cuts to the arts.

We believe that ‘value for money’ should take into account what residents get back, not just what they put in.

Each council tax-payer in Reading received twice as much investment in their cultural services in 2019-20. 

8) How do you rate the council’s value for money?

‘The council is good value for money’

  • Definitely agree
  • Somewhat agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Somewhat disagree
  • Definitely disagree

Question 9

Mention ‘Sustained investment in arts and cultural services‘.

You may wish to give other recommendations.

9) What would we need to change to improve that score?*

Question 10

Write from your own experience about how much you value Norden Farm, The Old Court and local arts and cultural services in RBWM.

You may also wish to mention that:

10) Do you have any additional comments regarding the proposals?*

Grant funding for the arts is a good investment – organisations like Norden Farm and The Old Court enrich our lives, community and local economy.

Grant funding for the arts is a good investment – organisations like Norden Farm and The Old Court enrich our lives, community and local economy.

The Council’s proposal to abolish their core funding threatens to make vital programmes unviable, shutting off opportunities to access the arts, and setting back Windsor and Maidenhead’s social and economic recovery from the pandemic.

The Council’s proposal to abolish their core funding threatens to make vital programmes unviable, shutting off opportunities to access the arts, and setting back Windsor and Maidenhead’s social and economic recovery from the pandemic.

The Council has already made significant cuts to arts funding, from £233k (£1.54 per person) in 2019-20 to £120k (79p per person) in 2020-21.

The Council has already made significant cuts to arts funding, from £233k (£1.54 per person) in 2019-20 to £120k (79p per person) in 2020-21.

The impact of the pandemic on arts organisations has already been severe. They can't afford to lose further income, and we can't afford to lose the vital benefits they bring to our community.

The impact of the pandemic on arts organisations has already been severe. They can't afford to lose further income, and we can't afford to lose the vital benefits they bring to our community.

This proposal goes against RBWM’s Corporate Plan and the Council's aims to create ‘thriving communities’ and ‘inspiring places’, to ‘empower and enable individuals’ and to ‘promote health and wellbeing’.

This proposal goes against RBWM’s Corporate Plan and the Council's aims to create ‘thriving communities’ and ‘inspiring places’, to ‘empower and enable individuals’ and to ‘promote health and wellbeing’.

The Council's investment in cultural services has already fallen to below-average in England. This would make the Royal Borough's record even worse.

The Council's investment in cultural services has already fallen to below-average in England. This would make the Royal Borough's record even worse.

Reading, Bracknell Forest and Slough are all investing more in cultural services than RBWM. In 2019-20, Reading invested almost twice as much in culture for each and every citizen.

Reading, Bracknell Forest and Slough are all investing more in cultural services than RBWM. In 2019-20, Reading invested almost twice as much in culture for each and every citizen.

3️⃣ Once you've submitted your responses, please share our campaign

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Email 
 The RBWM Council, led by Andrew Johnson, is planning to abolish ALL grant funding for the arts from April 2022. I've signed the Public Campaign for the Arts petition to say: please fund our local arts and culture.
https://www.campaignforthearts.org/petitions/rbwm-council-fund-our-local-arts-and-culture/
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