On Tuesday, the UK government published widely awaited proposals for its ‘levelling up’ programme to increase economic activity across the country and decrease inequalities between regions and with London. The state of culture in the regions will be one measure of success, said Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: ‘By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.’ It has also been announced that the increase in the budget of Arts Council England determined in 2021 will be distributed entirely outside London. The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has also said that more than 100 places outside of London will receive extra arts and culture funding from 2023, though this does not mean that more money will be available overall. More detailed plans will be announced in the spring.
On Monday, a rule dating from July 2020 regarding the…
