The city of Birmingham, England has announced the findings of a three-month inquiry into how cultural investment in Birmingham can be grown through public and private sources. Led by Birmingham City Council with pro-bono contributions from Aston Business School, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, Arts Council England, and Culture Central, the Cultural Investment Enquiry looked at the impact of the arts in the city and alternative funding mechanisms. The inquiry was prompted by falling levels of public funding for local arts organizations including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as well as museums and theater troupes. As reported on the Arts Professional site (U.K.), “the Enquiry has generated almost 50 suggestions for ways to boost investment in the city’s arts and culture, which it presents in a new report. These are broken down into four sections: public sector investment, alternative finance, collaborative working and philanthropic giving. ‘Birmingham has the opportunity to do something different and ground-breaking in how it supports culture within the city,’ said Chair of the Enquiry Paul Faulkner. While the focus is on Birmingham, he anticipates that the proposals could be ‘extended into broader regional thinking.’ ” Click here for the full report.
Posted August 8, 2016
