News / Arts
Bristol invite for minister over arts funding
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid has been invited by bosses at Bristol’s Colston Hall to visit the venue and see for himself why arts funding needs to be less London-centric.
A report published by the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee this week is critical of the way the Arts Council distributes cash, which it says causes an imbalance as it tends to be spent on projects in the capital.
In September Colston Hall, the South West’s largest concert venue, launched a campaign to raise £45million to transform it into a national and regional centre for entertainment and music education.
Colston Hall chief executive Louise Mitchell said she wanted to show Mr Javid, who grew up in Bristol and took over the culture, media and sport brief this summer, how the plans would not only create a hub for music and entertainment in his home city but also the positive impact this transformation will have on Bristol and the South West.
Colston Hall is the country’s only major concert venue not to have received funding for a facelift over recent decades. Its auditorium has changed little since The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones played there in the 1960s.
Ms Mitchell said: “It is time for the spotlight to shine on regional arts. The majority of the UK cannot miss out on much needed funding because of London. Colston Hall has been a cultural heartbeat in Bristol for nearly 150 years but it is in dire need of redevelopment if it is to continue to be enjoyed by future generations.”
The invitation comes as the city’s Liberal Democrats today called on mayor George Ferguson to make a commitment that Colston Hall’s needs be given just as much attention as the proposed arena at Temple Meads.
“We need to build on the Hall’s success and further investment by the Council will be money well spent,” group leader Gary Hopkins said.
Reporting from Bristol Business News
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