Equity urges Bristol city council to drop cuts to arts and culture budget

Union warns jobs are at risk if plans including museum closures go ahead in bid to ward off council bankruptcy

The country's largest performing arts and entertainment union has urged Bristol city council to drop plans to cut hundreds of thousands of pounds from the arts and culture budget including by closing a number of museums.

Equity members have written to the council warning that cuts would do significant damage to jobs and cultural activities in Bristol, a Unesco City of Film.

The reduction and closure of the Cultural Investment Programme (CIP), with the intention to seek alternative funding, to save 635,000 between now and 2027.

The closure of Blaise Museum, an 18th-century mansion highlighting social history with displays of dolls' houses, toys, costume and domestic tools, to save 39,000 by 2027.

The closure of Georgian House Museum, an 18th-century townhouse displayed in the style of the original period, to save 29,000 by 2027.

The closure of Red Lodge Museum, a historic Elizabethan house, to save 64,000 by 2027.

Reducing the opening hours of the Bristol Archives search room to save 35,000 by 2027.