Fears that Shropshire arts groups could see 100 per cent cuts in funding from the local authority have arisen after a council in another part of the country axed its arts budgets.

Ian Kerry, director of Arts Alive and Flicks in the Sticks, which provide theatre and film shows in Shropshire and Herefordshire, said such harsh moves were worrying. Somerset County Council’s cabinet voted this week to completely cut its arts budget.

Elizabeth Kulh, spokeswoman for the county council, said the decision would now go before a full council meeting on November 10.

Mr Kerry today warned the arts could still lose vital funding if Shropshire Council did the same.

He said: “I heard that Somerset County Council decided to cut 100 per cent of their arts funding. If that’s the sort of thing local authorities are considering, that makes us very nervous.”

Shropshire Council has said it is not possible to tell what the potential arts budget will be for next year.

Mr Kerry said they had lost less money than expected as a result of the cuts nationally, but added: “It’s still going to be complicated, the Arts Council is one funder of quite a few that we have.

“We are going to get a 6.9 per cent cut for the next financial year, which is less than we thought, but local authorities are going to take longer before we hear what their cuts will be.”

Arts Alive is supported by grant funding of about £60,000 a year.

Mr Kerry added: “Flicks in the Sticks was lottery funded by Screen West Midlands which got its funding from the UK Film Council, which is one of the quangos to be scrapped.

“We don’t have a clue what is happening there, we are funded through until May, but there will still be lottery funding available, so we are cautiously optimistic at the moment, but anything could happen.”

Lezley Picton, head of arts and heritage at Shropshire Council, said: “Shropshire Council’s Arts Service has a budget of £668,720 for this current fina­ncial year.

“From this, a saving of £200,000 was identified and approved by the cabinet in September.

“Further to the Comprehensive Spending Review, any further savings will be identified and determined by members toward the end of November.”

By Hannah Costigan