As Cannock Chase District Council blamed the theater’s potential closure on a £1.3m deficit, its leader Tony Jackson said it was one of the toughest decisions he had faced. had been involved. A consultation takes place until January 2, external.

Tristram Hunt, former MP for Stoke-on-Trent and now director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, said that “the vast majority of local authority budgets were now spent on welfare and looked after children “.

“After all of this, including sweeping the streets and emptying the trash, there is very, very little left,” he said.

Mr Hunt said regional museums, galleries and universities were important “for reasons of equity” so people could access great works and “wonders of beauty” as well as nurturing creativity.

However, while London organizations benefited from more philanthropy and tourism, the situation was more difficult in larger regional centers such as Birmingham, Mr Hunt said.

Embattled Birmingham City Council cut its arts funding earlier this year, with its leader John Cotton calling the decision a difficult one.

“The threat is that we will lose the ability of museums and galleries to acquire new works, boost their collections, stage new exhibitions and attract new audiences,” Mr Hunt said.

“They will close more days, have less staff and fewer exhibitions. It’s a vicious cycle.”