Kaleido Arts funding withdrawnArts Council South West shock decision to cut funding to Kaleido Arts, the regional agency run by Deaf and disabled artistsKaleido Arts, the regional agency supporting Deaf and disabled artists in the South West, was shocked to find out that Arts Council South West have confirmed that they will be cutting Kaleido's funding completely from the end of March 2010. As a result the Board have taken the difficult decision to close the office from March 31st 2010.Kaleido Arts is the latest in a long list of organisations run by disabled people that have had their funding cut by the Arts Council.* ACESW want to allocate the budget themselves instead. Given the likelihood of cuts to the Arts Council budget in future, the targeted funding could end up being cut altogether. Kaleido Arts feels that it is a retrograde step if the Arts Council, rather than Deaf or disabled artists, make the final decisions about how the funding for developing Deaf and disabled art is used. The Arts Council do not employ any disabled people at all in their South West regional office (Arts Council disability data 2009). By contrast Kaleido is the only regional arts organisation focusing on disability arts across the South West region and the only Arts Council South West funded regional development agency run by a Board made up of 85% Deaf and disabled people. Half of the staff team are disabled. Kaleido Arts members and Board are concerned that this will mean yet more consultation by Arts Council South West with Deaf and disabled artists, who have been over consulted with, but under assisted for years. Only 2.2% of the Arts Council South West arts award funding in 2008/9 went to disabled artists. Given that around 20% of the population in the South West is disabled, Deaf and disabled artists are clearly under represented. The recent Arts Council "Taking Part" survey briefing also shows that, despite the fact that people in the South West have the highest levels of participation and attendance at arts activities in the country, attendance is only 53.7% for people with a limiting illness or disability versus 67.4% nationally for the general population and 72.3% for the general population in the South West region. Kaleido Arts (formally Equata) has existed in one form or another for over 20 years. The staff help artists by providing information, help with finding funding, promotion and networking. They also collaborate with other arts and disability agencies to improve opportunities and raise awareness of the work of disabled artists in the South West. Kaleido Arts is asking artists and the general public to help them fight this decisionYou can write to Alan Davey the Chief Executive of the Arts Council at:Arts Council England, 14 Great Peter Street, London, SW1P 3NQ or e mail him at chiefexecutive@artscouncil.org.uk Download the Kaleido Arts press release.Download the Executive Summary of the Kaleido Arts Response Report to the Arts Council. If you would like a full copy of our Response Report please call 01392 219 440 or e mail info@kaleidoarts.org * London Disability Arts Forum, the National Disability Arts Forum, the West Midlands Disability Arts Forum and Shape East Midlands [edited 23rd Feb 10] |