by political editor Paul Francis

Two of Kent’s flagship arts projects are to see their funding
cut by thousands of pounds as part of government budget cuts.

The Turner Centre in Margate, due to open next year, is to see
Arts Council funding trimmed by £34,000 while the popular
Canterbury Festival is to lose £24,113 from its budget.

The cuts were announced by the Arts Council this week, which
warned next year’s budget cuts could be surpassed by even harsher
budget reductions the following year.

In total, arts groups in Kent will lose nearly £86,000 in
2011-2012.

The Arts Council has had its overall budget slashed by nearly 30
per cent and is implementing a 6.9 per cent across-the-board cash
cut for virtually all organisations in 2011-12.

In the case of Turner Contemporary, funding is being cut by
£34,328 although it will still receive a subsidy of £463,173.

A spokesman said the cut would not affect its planned programme
of events and exhibitions but would not be drawn on the potential
impact of cuts in future years.

"At the moment, we are well down the line in planning next
year’s programme and we are confident these cuts will not impact on
that programme or the quality of our events and exhibitions," he
said.

The budget cuts do not affect the building work, which is due to
be completed next year at a cost of £17m.

Canterbury Festival organisers warned the cuts would make it
harder to fund community events.

Its subsidy from the Arts Council will fall by £24,133 to
£349,753 next year.

Festival director Rosie Turner said: "It is going to have a
serious impact because any cut to core funding tends to mostly
effect those events that do not generate private sponsorship.

"In our case, this tends to be visual arts and the work we do
with schools and community groups."

But she said the cuts were not a death sentence for the arts in
Kent.

"It is a bleak outlook but it is not a death sentence. It is a
case of battening down the hatches and riding it out.

"It is going to be scary and we may have to trim our porgramme
but we will be back next year."

However, she expressed concerns at the potential impact of cuts
in later years.

"Some may lose funding entirely, others may not. Unfortunately,
regional arts funding as we know it is over and we will have to
justify every penny we receive."

Other Kent arts groups affected are: Strange Cargo Arts Company
(cut of £5,431); Stour Valley Arts (£4,537); Music Beyond
Mainstream (£10,138) and Dada South (£7,372).