THAT:

(a)          the arts commissioning grant  budget be allocated in a single bidding round open only to those organisations which received funding from Herefordshire Council in 2013/14; and 

(b)          tenders for the commissions are prioritised on the basis of the proportionate impact upon groups with protected characteristics, contribution to achievement of the council’s priorities and degree to which the applicants can demonstrate how the funding will be used to support the organisation move to sustainability without future funding from Herefordshire Council.

On 7 February Council passed an amendment to the budget which had the effect of re-instating on a one-off basis the arts commissioning grants budget of £58,000.

The council’s financial position is such that, to enable essential services for its most vulnerable residents to be maintained, it must reduce both the range and the level of services provided to the minimum necessary whilst meeting statutory requirements, unless there are clear reasons to do otherwise. In view of this Cabinet had, in January, take the policy decision to end funding for commissioned arts organisations, although in taking that decision it was recognised that the immediate withdrawal of grant funding would have a disproportionate negative impact on groups within the community with protected characteristics and that a phased approach would enable organisations to better plan and manage their financial affairs.

The payment of arts commissioning grants is continued at the level of 2014-15 with an annual bidding round open to any organisation based on the criteria used in previous rounds. Given timescales for promoting such a bidding round and assessing applications this would not be practicable to deliver spend in year.

The same level of funding for 2013-14 is offered to the same groups for 2014-15. This would not ensure that organisations are moving towards a financially sustainable model of operation.

The payment of arts commissioning grants are continued for 2015-16  at 50% decrease in the total funding available for 2014-15, reducing to zero funding by end of 2015-16. This is not possible as the budget adjustment is for one-year only rather than an adjustment to the base budget.

In relation to the potential disproportionate impact upon groups with Protected Characteristics an option would be to maintain 50% of the funding and commission it to organisations which focus their activity on these groups.