Despite a positive performance in the last quarter of 2009, the Cultural Observatory’s latest recession snapshot (pdf, 311kb) suggests the West Midlands’ cultural sector is facing a period of ‘funding uncertainty’.
Evidence highlighted in the paper suggests that while many local cultural organisations remain optimistic about the short-term stability of core funding sources, perception of funding security is low compared to confidence levels pre-recession.
In the Cultural Observatory’s own economic survey with local cultural organisations, 72% of respondents stated that they were ‘less optimistic’ about the stability of core funding sources compared to 2007.
Against a backdrop of funding concerns, the research shows that the cultural sector continued to see increases in numbers of customers through the door in the last three months of 2009, building on the unusually high increase in footfall seen over the summer.
Filed under: Cultural Observatory, culture, Data, Economy & Labour Force, Employment, Research, West Midlands | Tagged: Cultural Observatory, cultural sector, culture, economy, Office for National Statistics, recession, Research, West Midlands economy, West Midlands Regional Observatory, WMRO | 1 Comment »