Liverpool City Council has announced that its flagship Culture and Arts Investment Programme (CAIP) will be extended for an additional 12 months, continuing support for the city’s cultural sector through to March 2027. The extension follows a Cabinet report highlighting the need for one-off funding of £2.245 million to help arts organisations navigate rising costs and reduced reserves while a more strategic and inclusive approach to future funding is developed.
Aligning the CAIP funding cycle with Arts Council England’s timelines will allow cultural organisations to plan more strategically and ensure continuity in operations. The extra year will also provide time to refresh the CAIP process, incorporating insights from the Arts Council England review, the UK Government’s Spending Review, proposed devolution changes, and the forthcoming Liverpool Culture Strategy.
Since its launch in 2023, CAIP has had a significant impact on Liverpool’s cultural and economic landscape. It has generated approximately £33 million in economic value, supported over 4,000 jobs, and attracted more than 3.4 million attendances in 2023/24. Projections for 2025/26 indicate that the 29 funded organisations will generate nearly £41 million in turnover and deliver over 12,000 events citywide.
Liverpool City Council emphasises that the city’s cultural sector is a major economic, social, and creative asset, helping to shape the city’s identity, unite communities, and drive innovation. Extending CAIP provides organisations with the certainty needed to plan ahead, protect jobs, sustain community engagement, and create a more strategic alignment with other national funding sources.
Leaders from Liverpool’s cultural organisations welcomed the extension. Nicola Triscott, Director and Chief Executive of FACT, noted that the funding ensures stability for delivering digital and screen art experiences while nurturing the next generation of digital creators. Vanessa Reed, Chief Executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, highlighted that the Council’s support enables the organisation to transform lives through music, create jobs, drive tourism, support local businesses, and contribute to the city’s creative economy.
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