The Erosion of DCMS Funding: A Call to Action

As the UK's cultural landscape grapples with deepening financial uncertainty, recent headlines have underscored a harsh reality: the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is set to undergo a 6% real-terms budget cut in 2025/26. This follows a staggering 32% per capita decline in funding since 2010. Local government spending on culture and leisure has also been hollowed out, falling by £2.3 billion over the last 15 years.

These are not just statistics, they are shifts that threaten the very fabric of our cultural infrastructure.

The implications for the arts, heritage, and creative sectors are profound. With national institutions feeling the squeeze and local organisations struggling to survive, the question is no longer whether change is needed, but how quickly and boldly we can adapt.

At SLS 360, we believe this moment calls for a collective pivot from survival mode to a mindset of resilience and transformation. That doesn’t mean abandoning what we value, it means reimagining how we sustain it.

Self-Sufficiency Is No Longer Optional

While public funding will always play a crucial role, the stark truth is that we can no longer afford to be overly dependent on it. Organisations that diversify their income, deepen community relationships, and explore collaborative models are not only weathering the storm, they're leading the way.

This is a wake-up call to rethink the ways we deliver, fund, and measure cultural work. Self-sufficiency isn’t about going it alone,  it’s about anchoring your mission in strategies that allow you to survive, adapt, and thrive regardless of political or economic shifts.

Innovation Starts With Permission

Now is the time to give ourselves permission to try something new. Whether that’s launching a social enterprise, developing community-led programming, experimenting with digital delivery, or co-producing with diverse audiences. Innovation doesn’t have to mean high risk. It just means doing things differently and being brave enough to start.

Some Provocations for Leaders and Changemakers:

• What assumptions about funding, value, or delivery might your organisation need to challenge?

• If you had to run without public funding for six months, what would change first and why?

• What new skills, partnerships, or capabilities might you need to build to strengthen your resilience?

Help is at hand!

At SLS 360, we’re here to help you make sense of complexity and move from reactive to strategic. Whether you need support with fundraising, governance, inclusive leadership, or reimagining your business model, we offer insight, tools, and tailored support to get you where you need to go.

📩 Reach out to us at info@sls360.org to start the conversation.

The future of the sector depends not just on surviving cuts, but on reshaping the system that made us vulnerable in the first place. Let’s build something better, together.

SLS 360 supports organisations and individuals to be bold and brave in your efforts to affect positive change. For more on how SLS 360 can support your organisation and for more information on the I.D.E.A.L Network, visit www.sls360.org. You can also subscribe to receive our fortnightly audio cast, monthly newsletter and be the first to hear about special offers and events in the world of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

This blog post was written by Samantha Stimpson, CEO at SLS 360.