Delivering cultural services

Delivering cultural services in the current financial climate

Where to find advice, guidance and best practise

These are challenging times for borough cultural services. With central funding reduced by on average 25 per cent, and with government policy focusing on getting community groups more involved in providing public services,  it is time to look afresh at how services are delivered. Are there alternatives to the current traditional structures that deliver effective savings and provide better outcomes for the community?

To advise members of the issues that cultural services face, London Councils has produced a background briefing on the potential impact on cultural provision (click here).

As local authorities experiment with different approaches to running cultural services, London Councils has identified a number of alternative models currently being developed. To assist boroughs in identifying the best strategy for them and to support the decision making process, we have pulled this information together on the following pages:

The range of options available to boroughs

• making the most of assets
• building community involvement
• working with Trusts
• outsourcing

If you are looking specifically for case studies, we have identified a number of models that local authorities have put into practise.