WEST Somerset arts organisation ARTlife will have to make savings of £7,000 after the district council reduced its level of grant funding.

Traditionally, West Somerset District Council has given £67,000 to the arts group each year as part of a partnership agreement between the two organisations.

ARTlife supports the work of five professional arts groups in West Somerset, including Take Art!, Somerset Dance Connections and Somerset Film and Video.

Projects helped by the organisation in the last year alone have included a mini dance festival, plans to erect a memorial of Coleridge's Ancient Mariner in Watchet and the recent 'Moor to Shore' festival.

But as part of a cost-cutting exercise to save money, the district council decided to reduce the grant given to ARTlife in line with savings identified by the arts group itself.

At Monday's meeting of the district council's cabinet, councillors were told ARTlife had identified areas where it could save some £7,500 in a bid to help the council reduce its own costs.

This included reducing the level of community grants, cutting consultation costs, scaling down information services, reducing grants to groups such as Take Art! and cutting back on development work with young people.

The council's portfolio holder for leisure, Cllr Simon Stokes, said the authority's partnership with ARTlife was a good example of working together to deliver services.

But he said the arts group realised "times had changed" for the council.

He said the organisation would still be able to operate on reduced funding of £60,000 and hoped the shortfall might be found at a later date to prevent drastic cuts being made.

l A statement from ARTlife said the confirmation of the grant allocation meant its work in West Somerset was now safeguarded for the future.

Projects able to proceed included a visual arts scheme focusing on rural skills and a community dance residency in Stogursey.

Tracey Roberts, cultural development co-ordinator, said: "We are pleased that the council has recognised the valuable work we do in West Somerset and the benefits we have already brought to large and small organisations across the district.

"It acknowledges the importance of the partnership between ARTlife and the district council and will enable us to continue support for local arts and crafts enterprises to the benefit of both residents and visitors."