Why Public Investment Matters - Bristol City Council’s proposed cuts to arts funding

Published on 12 November 2025.

Bristol City Council's proposed cuts to arts funding

Bristol City Council has launched a public consultation on its proposed budget for the 2026–2027 financial year.

One of the proposals is a complete closure of the Cultural Investment Programme grant funding from 2027 onwards. Currently, 26 arts organisations are grant-funded through the Cultural Investment programme, including Travelling Light. Many work in the most deprived areas of Bristol or with communities least likely to access arts and culture.

The closure of the programme would have a devastating impact on the city’s arts projects, organisations and the people who benefit from them.

Funding from the Cultural Investment Programme (CIP) is Travelling Light’s only core public funding. This grant provides vital unrestricted funding to support our core costs and programme, especially our work in the local community with children and young people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access theatre and creative opportunities.

The consultation closes on Wednesday 26 November 2025.
Please take a few minutes to have your say.

What you can do to help

1. Complete the consultation survey - before Wednesday 26 November.

• Go to Question 17, which is under the section titled ‘Strategy and Resources proposals for consultation’. Scroll down to Cultural Investment Programme (CIP)”.
  
  
• Question 17 asks - Do you agree or disagree with proposal: Cultural Investment Programme (CIP)?
  Select “Strongly disagree” or “Disagree” with the proposal to cut funding
  
  
• Optionally, scroll down to Question 21 and share your comments about the Strategy and Resources proposals. You can use or adapt the text below — or write in your own words.

The Cultural Investment Programme represents less than 1% of Bristol City Council’s total budget (2025–26), yet it is vital for the organisations that receive it. The closure of the programme will put many of these artists, organisations and their programmes at risk. Much of the work funded by the Cultural Investment Programme is in deprived areas of Bristol and the proposed cut to the funding will widen existing inequalities in the city. Organisations affected include Travelling Light, whose work makes a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Bristol.

Although alternatives are being researched there are no funds that have been found to replace the programme and any new funds would come too late for many organistions and projects.

2. Spread the word among your contacts.

3. Write to your local councillors – you can download our template letter [Word .docx 24.7KB] or write in your own words.

Find your local councillor

Travelling Light’s Impact in Bristol

Travelling Light’s work makes a real difference to the lives of children and young people in Bristol. It improves their confidence, supports their mental health and helps improve speaking and listening skills. Schools and early years settings say how important our work is to children’s learning and social and emotional development. Our work supports social cohesion, brings families and communities together, and provides thousands of children with their first experience of theatre.

In 2024-25, we inspired the imaginations of over 2,500 children and young people and received two awards celebrating the impact of our work.

Read more about the impact of our work in 2024-25.

Bristol City Council's investment in Travelling Light

In 2024-25, for every £1 Bristol City Council invested in Travelling Light’s work, we generated an additional £9.26 in grants, donations and earned income, helping us to reach children in seven of the most deprived areas in the city, particularly families and communities in the Barton Hill and Lawrence Hill wards, where we are based.

Bristol City Council’s own impact survey found that our work had an economic value to the city of £531,986 through our activities and the creation of employment opportunities.

The Impact of arts and culture in the city

Bristol’s cultural life is one of the city’s defining strengths – a source of pride, identity, and belonging that reaches into every part of the city. It fuels creativity, supports jobs, builds communities, and brings joy and meaning to people’s lives. The Council’s long-standing investment in culture has been fundamental to this success.

The scale and impact of Bristol’s cultural sector speak for themselves:

• 10.9 million people experienced Bristol’s culture in 2024, live and online
• Culture generates £892.9 million in economic impact for the city every year
• Culture creates £122.4 million in social value – improving health and wellbeing, education, community cohesion, employment, and the environment

For every £1 invested by Bristol City Council, arts organisations bring around £88 back into Bristol’s economy.