Last week it was announced that government funding for Creative Partnerships, run by charity Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE), will end next year. Today it has emerged that the Arts Council England, which funds the charity is to halve funding to the organisation to £19m for 2011/12.
Paul Collard, chief executive of CCE, said: "The £19m grant that has been offered for 2011/12 will enable us to complete the Creative Partnerships projects already planned for the 2,000 schools currently engaged with the programme. CCE remains committed to supporting the delivery of high-quality cultural programmes for young people and will continue to work closely with schools and arts organisations.
"However, the significant reduction in funding to our organisation and the end of programmes such as Creative Partnerships and Find Your Talent will leave many young people in some of the most disadvantaged communities without access to the arts."
He added that over the coming year the charity will be looking for alternative sources of funding and support.
"Once these [programmes] are gone there is no turning back the clock and the impact of this on the next generation is not something that can be fixed once public finances are restored," Collard added.
A PricewaterhouseCoopers report published in September found that for every £1 invested in Creative Partnerships, it delivers £15.30 worth of benefits, two-thirds of which directly impact learners.
