Well he didn't actually mention spending on dance in his speech, but here is the text for the spending increase for the DCMS (Dept. of Culture, Media and Sport):<P>***********************<P>Mr Speaker, since museums were opened free to the public, there has been a 75% rise in attendances. The secretary of state is announcing a budget increase for culture, media and sport - including additional funds for tourism - from £1.3bn this year to £1.6bn by 2005-06.<P>With this increase Britain will maintain free access to national museums, invest in regional museums, expand local creative arts partnerships and, to open up sport to all, there will not only be additional support for sports clubs but new finance for extra sports coaches and funds for much needed investment in school sports facilities. <P><BR>

I asked an economist colleague about the figures and he tells me that although the increase is less than it has been in the past, it is still reasonable "in the present climate".<P>The problem is how will the cake be divided between culture, media and sport (ludicrous to bracket them together) and how much of the funds allocated to "culture" will be directed at dance. Very little I suspect.

Cassandra, having got round to my daily trawl through the newspaper and other sites. There is this helpful article on the BBC website. The Arts Council increase from £297m to £412m over 3 years represents an increase of 11.5% pa, whereas the total increase for the DCMS from £1.3bn to £1.6bn represents an increase of 7%pa. Thus the Arts Council has done better than some others, which was not the impression I got from the Guardian extract above. It's also possible that there will be cost savings under the new streamlined Arts Council structure where the Regional Arts Boards now come under one umbrella organisation. Overall, it sounds very promising as long as a decent percentage comes to dance, of course. <P><BR><B>Brown pledges £75m arts boost</B><BR>from the BBC website<P><BR>The extra money will widen access to culture and create an "avalanche of art", Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said in the wake of the announcement.<P>Ms Jowell said the funding levels would give her the "resources needed to nurture and reward talent and excellence". <P>"It places a new emphasis on realising the potential of the arts, culture, and sport to enrich the lives of young people, especially those living in deprived areas," she added. <P>The spending review means arts funding will increase from £297m this financial year to £412m in 2005/6. <BR> <BR>Ms Jowell said the "cash injection" was a vote of confidence in and a reward for the Arts Council's continuing radical reforms, which aim to unite and streamline the funding process for all of England. <P>"I am confident that we can turn this new money into an avalanche of art and creativity, right across the country," she said. <P><A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/arts/newsid_2129000/2129747.stm" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 16, 2002).]

<B>ARTS FUNDING TO RISE TO NEW RECORD LEVEL</B><BR>Press Release From the Dept. of Culture, Media and Sport website.<P><BR>Cash injection will create “ an avalanche of art” and widen access to culture Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has hailed the injection of an extra £75 million for the arts by 2005/6 - a real terms increase of over 16% on 2003/4. As a result, by 2005/6 Government funding for the arts will be 73% higher in real terms than in 1997/8. <P>The increase is the equivalent of funding five more National Theatres. <P>The settlement, arising from the Spending Review announced today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will see arts funding increase from £297 million this financial year to £412 million in 2005/6. <P>The new funds will be used to continue investment in all art forms, including music, <B>dance</B> and the visual arts, and to at least double the number of children and areas taking part in the Creative Partnerships programme. Around 200,000 children are taking part in the pilot scheme this year. <P><A HREF="http://www.culture.gov.uk/role/search.asp?Name=/pressreleases/role/2002/dcms142" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><P><B>Stuart adds:</B> The mention of dance above (with my highlighting) was described as significant by one dance administrator I spoke to. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to make the case for dance and the need to remedy the appalling pay and conditions that are all too often seen in the sector. I believe that The Arts Council spending round for 2004-5 will be announced later in the year.<BR>

I hate to be a pessimist but as a recipient of some of Brown's largesse pointed out in a TV interview, a lot of the allocated funds will be instantly reduced next year by the increase in National Insurance in April.<P>Can anyone work out how much that will add to the wages bill at Covent Garden?

Interesting that you mention the ROH Cassandra. On Front Row on BBC Radio4 yesterday evening, Tessa Blackstone, Minister of State (and Minister for the Arts), singled out the Royal Opera House as an institution that was staging far fewer performances than it had been some time ago, despite the new building programme.<P> The Arts council website says of the ROH and the current spending round:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Between 1998-99 and 2000/2001, the ROH received increases from the Arts Council of 39%....In 2002/3 and 2003/4 the ROH will receive increases of 3% (just above inflation) to help it to continue to develop its artistic programme.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>It will be interesting to see whether the same pattern is followed when the annoncement for 2004/5 and 2005/6 is made.<P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 18, 2002).]

<B>Fears over arts fund shortfall</B><BR>by Joanna Taylor for The Stage<P><BR>Gordon Brown's £75 million increase in government spending on culture may not be enough to counter a predicted £20 million drop in Lottery funding, senior figures have warned.<P>In his Comprehensive Spending Review, the Chancellor announced central government funding for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will increase by 16% in real terms over 2004/5 and 2005/6.<P>A portion of that money will be directed to the Arts Council of England but campaigners fear that, however much that is, the funding body will have to ask for even more during that period to compensate for the fall off in money from the Lottery - also distributed by ACE.<P><A HREF="http://www.thestage.co.uk/paper/0229/0101.shtml" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 18, 2002).]