Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that grassroots artists and cultural organisations in post-industrial towns can access funding streams to support creative economy growth.

DCMS is committed to supporting grassroots cultural organisations and spurring local creative economy growth.

We launched the Creative Foundations Fund in February 2025, as part of our £1.5bn Arts Everywhere investment. This will invest up to £425m in arts and cultural organisations in England over five years.

The Creative Places Growth Fund will provide £150m of devolved funding across six Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England to turbocharge local creative industries.

Moreover, places across the UK, including many post-industrial towns, have had the opportunity to bid into the UK City of Culture and UK Town of Culture competitions. Notably, both competitions have guaranteed funding to the winners of £10m and £3m respectively.