Buxton Festival has survived Arts Council England’s spending cuts, and has in fact secured increased funding for the next three years.
The Festival’s chief executive, Glyn Foley, said: ‘It was a great relief to receive the news that our funding from Arts Council England remains intact. It is a vital source of income for us, ensuring our ability to produce high quality opera and to continue to bring international talent to Buxton. We know ACE has had to make a 15% cut, so we are thrilled that they have been able to increase their investment in this area. We have great sympathy with those organisations which have not been so fortunate.
‘This year we mount three fully-staged Festival productions, underlining our ambition, even in these tough times. The positive outcome of the Arts Council’s funding decision allows us to continue our aim to make Buxton Festival one of the UK’s most successful arts festivals.’
Arts Council England has previously supported 850 regularly funded organisations and was faced with substantial cuts in their government funding. Approximately 1,300 organisations submitted a request to be part of ACE’s new portfolio. These have now been assessed on their ability to help achieve ACE’s 10-year vision to get the best art to the most people.
