Lobby your Local MP and Local Authorities
It has NEVER been more important to state your claim on the Comprehensive Spending Review this Autumn.
During the Pandemic, the government has recognised the importance of the arts in this country. They cannot deny its value in terms of jobs, export, cohesion and how it supports wellbeing. This is shown in the huge “bailout” fund of £1.57 Billion to save the creative industries. This treasury money is for those in crisis now and who are likely to go insolvent THIS FINANCIAL YEAR!! It is not for recovery or future investment. If your crisis point will fall in the next financial year, then the Comprehensive Spending Review is where your energy is best spent!
Renegotiation has begun on what the next three years of spend looks like. This is what your local authority gets, this is what the Arts Councils get.
MPs always reflect that when they go door to door no one ever expresses how important the arts are. They express concern about local toilets closing, potholes and schools needing more resources. While these are valid issues, so is cultural delivery.
National Rural Touring Forum take the helpful and supportive approach to lobbying. Rural Touring has something MPs, Local Authorities and Arts Council need. We have a solution to the problem of how to access the people in the heart of communities, how to build community cohesion, wellbeing, and resilience. They will be making the case to the treasury, so they need to know about you!
I urge you now to use this letter as a template to contact your local MP, the head of local authorities, funders and alike to get our collective voice heard. Do it ASAP, like next week! Please do edit it, add your stats, your stories and how important what you do is to communities, business, and opportunity. We need to ensure the Spending Review factors in regional investment and the levelling up agenda
How to find you local MP and Lord – https://members.parliament.uk/constituencies/
