It has been noted by the 'Save The Belmont Cinema' campaign group, by the Aberdeen Trades Union Council, by Culture Aberdeen, and by others across the city that the cuts proposed by the Administration to the city's arts and culture budget are unprecedented.

They are unlike anything that we have seen before. We believe that, without intervention, they could potentially spell the death knell for our city’s creative spaces. 

We believe that these cuts would negatively impact the delicate cultural ecosystem required to allow the successful and sustainable reopening of the Belmont Cinema.

This goes against the objectives of our campaign, and as such, our group is wholly against the measures that have been proposed by this Administration. 

These destructive and dangerous cuts will invariably lead to job losses in our cultural sector in Aberdeen, just as the sector is beginning to recover from the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Sadly, we believe that they will also impoverish our city, tarnish our reputation for the arts, and lead to fewer cultural opportunities for future generations of Aberdonians. 

We believe that if the councillors decide to take these measures, it would be nothing short of cultural vandalism that will negatively impact our city for years to come.

The impact from visitors who perceive Aberdeen as reducing its cultural offering - at a time when festivals and cultural attractions such as Spectra and Granite Noir have been such an obvious draw for audiences from across the country, notably to the benefit of our bars, restaurants, hotels and wider hospitality sector - would be catastrophic for our city's continued economic recovery. 

These cuts must not be allowed to go ahead. 

Therefore, we demand that Aberdeen City Council go back to the Scottish Government, negotiate an improved funding settlement, and put increased funding back into arts and culture across Aberdeen. 

We encourage all of our members and supporters to join the planned protest outside the Town House on Wednesday 1st March at 10am.

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If you have not joined the STBC campaign, you can do so by joining our Facebook Group or emailing SaveTheBelmontCinema@outlook.com. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/savethebelmontcinema