Birmingham Mac hit by record council funding cut

Contemporary arts centre the Birmingham Mac has been hit by a 70 per cent cut to its council funding, as part of major reductions inflicted on the city's arts by its local authority.

The facility saw reduced funding from Birmingham City Council for 2016/17 from £540,000 to £400,000, with the proposed cut for 2017/18 seeing the centre’s funding reduced to £120,000.

As the most visited free-admission venue in the region, the Mac is a standalone charity, with 28 per cent of its income currently coming from public investment.

The centre has reported that for every pound of public investment received last year, the Mac generated £2.63. The Mac currently self-generates 72 per cent of its income from its activities including venue hires, trading and investment, offering over 1,300 courses yearly. 28 per cent of its income currently comes from public investment.

Commenting on the decision, Deborah Kermode, CEO and artistic director at Birmingham Mac, said: “We appreciate the difficulties the City Council face. As an organisation of real importance to our community we aim to stay true to our ethos - to provide arts for all.

“However, a cut of this magnitude will be felt and as a result we will need to review our current services and partnerships moving forward. Our long-standing relationship with the council, created at our inception in the 60s will continue. We have been assured of their continued support and welcome the opportunity to discuss our plans moving forward.”