Birmingham: Reacting to the news that the West Midlands Combined Authority is set to receive £15 million for culture, heritage and investment projects, Cllr Saima Suleman, Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism at Birmingham City Council, said:
“I welcome this new funding for culture and arts projects and I will be making the case to the Mayor for this funding to be used to support the projects that matter most to the people of Birmingham.
“I acknowledge that this is a difficult time for the sector. In addition to the difficult decisions on grant funding that this council and other local authorities are having to make, Arts Council England funding has been slashed by 30% since 2010.
“However, I am wholeheartedly committed to working collaboratively with our partners across the region to bring new funding into our city to support our diverse creative arts and culture scene.”