Sheffield Museums Face 20% Funding Cuts By Council

Museums, galleries and theatres in Sheffield face a funding cut by up to 20% from the city council. It is part of a harsh subsidy cull after  the local authority  were told to save a total of £50m. Museums Sheffield, which runs the Graves art gallery and the Millennium Gallery, will lose £200,000 per year under new council proposals.

The Crucible and Lyceum venues, run by Sheffield Theatres, will lose £106,000. The news comes at a high point, following the announcement that Sheffield Theatres were named regional theatres of the year by The highly prestigious Stage newspaper, the national trade magazine for theatre. Bafta award winning actor Dominic West is currently starring in My Fair Lady at the Crucible theatre

and the organisation has been critically acclaimed with a sold-out run for the Crucible's production of the broadway classic.

Museums Sheffield's chief executive Kim Streets said: "Over the coming weeks we'll be working with the council to finalise plans which address the challenges ahead while continuing to safeguard the city's museums and galleries for the people of Sheffield."

The council's proposals also involve £1.6m cuts to libraries in the city, leaving 14 libraries at risk of closure, and the demolition of Don Valley stadium, where Olympic gold-medal athlete Jessica Ennis trains.

That will be on top of up to 600 job losses, a £10.5m cut to Adult social care for the elderly and vulnerable and a £1m cut to youth services for 8-13 year olds.

Council chief executive John Mothersole has previously said these are "probably the toughest time the city has faced since 1945", adding: "The city can come through it but it will be painful and it will be different."

Sheffield has experienced a renascence over the last ten years and it would be an error of local government judgement to cut the arts sector in this important cultural centre.