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 support rural (a) arts venues and (b) community centres in West Dorset constituency.

This government is committed to supporting culture, and making sure that arts and cultural activities will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few. We are working with Arts Council England and others to understand what the challenges and opportunities are for our sectors.

The government supports the arts predominantly through Arts Council England (ACE) funding. They play a hugely important role in developing the arts in England and are also responsible for funding and promoting the arts. ACE’s open funding programme, National Lottery Project Grants, is currently accessible to organisations and individuals across the country, including those in West Dorset. This programme provides over £100 million of support annually to individuals and organisations.

In addition, Local Authorities remain one of the largest funders of arts and culture in England, and DCMS will continue to advocate and help local decision-makers understand and recognise the benefits that the arts can bring.