A consortium of trade unions has launched a campaign called Lost Arts, which records arts projects, jobs and organisations that have been axed because of cuts in public funding.
Dave Allen, a negotiator for Prospect, said: “We believe that these budget cuts are a false economy, when we know that every pound spent in the arts earns another two pounds in the wider economy.
“We want to raise the profile of the cultural heritage sector and get out our concerns about the loss of collections and expertise.
“We also want to highlight the detrimental effect on the public of a rise in pay-per-view museums. We do not want a return to charging for general admission at museums that are currently free.”
The consortium comprises the PCS, Prospect, Equity, Musicians’ Union, Unite, Bectu, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and the National Union of Journalists.
The campaign comes as other initiatives are struggling to maintain momentum.
The Save the Arts website has not been updated for several months and needs 35,000 signatures to reach its 100,000 target, while I Value the Arts is still in its infancy, according to a spokesman for lead organisation the National Campaign for the Arts.
Following a ballot by trade union PCS, retail workers, security officers and warders took strike action at museums across the UK last month.
A PCS spokeswoman confirmed that the union was considering further action over the summer.
www.lost-arts.org
Dave Allen, a negotiator for Prospect, said: “We believe that these budget cuts are a false economy, when we know that every pound spent in the arts earns another two pounds in the wider economy.
“We want to raise the profile of the cultural heritage sector and get out our concerns about the loss of collections and expertise.
“We also want to highlight the detrimental effect on the public of a rise in pay-per-view museums. We do not want a return to charging for general admission at museums that are currently free.”
The consortium comprises the PCS, Prospect, Equity, Musicians’ Union, Unite, Bectu, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and the National Union of Journalists.
The campaign comes as other initiatives are struggling to maintain momentum.
The Save the Arts website has not been updated for several months and needs 35,000 signatures to reach its 100,000 target, while I Value the Arts is still in its infancy, according to a spokesman for lead organisation the National Campaign for the Arts.
Following a ballot by trade union PCS, retail workers, security officers and warders took strike action at museums across the UK last month.
A PCS spokeswoman confirmed that the union was considering further action over the summer.
www.lost-arts.org
