LONDON (AP) – More than 100 British arts organizations could lose their funding because of government spending cuts aimed at tackling the country’s huge deficit, officials said Thursday.

The Arts Council England – a nonprofit body that disburses several hundred million pounds (dollars) a year in government funds – must slash 15 percent from the amount it gives to art, music, theater, dance, literary and other groups by 2015.

It announced Thursday that all 850 groups it funds – from the august Royal Opera and National Theatre to tiny regional galleries and troupes – will have to reapply. It anticipates “more than 100” will be cut off, while some new organizations will be added to the roster.

In the decade-long economic boom before the recession hit in 2007, hundreds of millions of pounds from both public and private sectors was spent on building, renovating and expanding museums, galleries and theaters.

Some fear that artistic golden age is threatened by the government’s cuts.

Arts Council chief Liz Forgan said that instead of “salami-slicing” the same amount from everyone, the council wanted to create a smaller but stronger portfolio of groups.

“We don’t want the arts in the next four years to go through a dark age,” she said.

The government plans to cut 81 billion pounds ($128 billion) from public expenditure over the next four years.

The council has been told to cut its overall budget by almost 30 percent by 2015, and says it will have to cut administrative costs by half to meet the target.

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Online:

Arts Council of England: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

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