Yesterday, the Arts Council of England announced wide-ranging cuts to the institutions it supports, as expected and required by the new UK government austerity measures.

Many of our closest friends have been affected. Some have got off relatively lightly; others will have to deal with huge shortfalls. Please see the various comments from the BCMG, the London Sinfonietta, Opera North, the Royal Opera House, The Opera Group, and Sound and Music for more details.

When asked recently about similar cuts in the Netherlands, Wolfgang Rihm answered:

“It is always astonishing to hear that of all people it is the conservative politicians who above all destroy cultural value. You would think that a Conservative would want to preserve something … When something is gone, it’s gone.”