Swindon saves arts funding, cuts gallery upgrade

Four Swindon arts organisations have been given reprieve from plans to cut their funding entirely – but an upgrade to the local museum and art gallery has been canned.

Swindon Festival of Literature, Prime Theatre, Reach Inclusive Arts and Create Studios were spared by Swindon Borough Council, which had proposed cutting all their funding in its recent budget. However, about £5m allocated for an upgrade to Swindon Museum and Art Gallery will instead be used to improve the M4.

The way the council administers funding to the arts will change: instead of making grants, the council will commission services from arts organisations.

Councillor Dale Heenan said the change was necessary.

"We want to support these organisations but if we keep this money as grants we’ll be having this discussion every year. This way puts these services as part of our statutory responsibilities, not our discretionary ones."