Faced with government cuts of up to 50%, Arts Council England had announced that it would reassess how it funds more than 1000 arts organisations in the country. The organisation has selected which arts institutions will form part of its National Portfolio.

In a statement, Dame Liz Forgan, chair of Arts Council England, says: "This is about a resilient future for the arts in England. We have taken the brave path of strategic choices not salami slices which has meant some painful decisions, and it is with great regret that we have had to cease funding some good organisations."

She adds: "But we will still be supporting excellence, exceptional talent and successful risk-taking; helping organisations to get their great work out far and wide; backing strong leadership and cultural entrepreneurialism; supporting resilient organisations that can thrive as well as survive; and encouraging work that really enthuses children and young people - because that's where it all begins. We have tried to go about this difficult process collaboratively, and with honesty and clarity of purpose. We have been helped enormously by having a 10-year shared vision for the arts, which has focused our minds."

Photography galleries and organisations that will receive increased funding from ACE: Open Eye Gallery (Liverpool): +15.4%; The Photographer's Gallery: +10.4%; Redeye Photography Network: +55.7%; Photoworks: +2.5%; Impressions Gallery: +5.1%; Focal Point Gallery (South-on-Sea Borough Council): +157.3%.

Photography galleries and organisations that will see their funding cut in part: Autograph: -2.2%; Rhubarb Rhubarb: -14.2%; Photofusion: -6.9%; De La Warr Pavilion: -6.0%.

Photography galleries and organisations that have lost their ACE funding: Side Gallery, Hereford Photography Festival, Pavilion, and Four Corners Film.

BJP has contacted all of these organisations for a comment. We will continue to update this article as they get back to us. To stay up-to-date with our coverage, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/1854.

The Photographers' Gallery, in London

The Photographers' Gallery, which is the photographic organisation that receives the most funding from Arts Council England, has announced that its funding has been increased for the 2012-2015 period.

"The Photographers' Gallery is delighted with today's announcement that Arts Council England will increase the Gallery's funding for 2012 - 2015," the organisation tells BJP. "We are grateful for this exceptional financial support in this challenging round of government funding for the Arts. This level of funding is especially important for us as this year represents an exciting new milestone in our 40 year history, as we will be reopening our transformed Gallery in Central London this Autumn with three dedicated galleries, a floor for educational learning and of course our beloved Bookshop, Print Sales and Café."

The Gallery adds: "The continued support from Arts Council England allows us to deliver our vision through our world-class programme welcoming around 450,000+ visitors annually to see, hear, enjoy and think about photography - one of the most important and accessible visual mediums of our time. We look forward in continuing to work in partnership with Arts Council England, helping to deliver its 10-year vision of ‘Great Art for Everyone'."

In total, The Photographers' Gallery will receive more than £2,700,000 over three years - £904,997 in 2012/2013, £923,097 in 2013/2014, and £941,559 in 2014/2015.

Photofusion, in London

Photofusion tells BJP that it has received the funding it requested. Julia Martin, the organisation's director, says they are greatly relieved. "We asked for £150,893 a yar [the funding it received for the year 2011/2012] and we got it," she says. "We're so relieved and delighted, because, of course, our staff and our members were very concerned - without the ACE funding we would not have been able to continue."

Photoworks, in Brighton

Photoworks director Emma Morris has confirmed to BJP that her organisation is now part of the Arts Council England National Portfolio, and will receive, from next year, £280,000 in public funding. While it's an increase over previous years, Photoworks is merging with the Brighton Photo Biennial, which also receives public funding. As a result, the combined entity will receive slightly less money than the two organisations would have received if they had stayed independent. "But, the fact that we are now a National Portfolio organisation is very positive. That means our future is secured for the next three years."

In an official statement released to its followers, Photoworks and Brighton Photo Biennial say:"We are relieved to be receiving continued Arts Council investment under the newly established status of National Portfolio Organisation and excited to announce the merger of Photoworks and Brighton Photo Biennial."

They add: "Our NPO bid was as a merged organisation and we are delighted both organisations have secured a future for the next 3 years. The continued ACE investment recognises both organisations' proven track records in promoting and celebrating excellence in photography. We now look forward to developing and delivering our bold and ambitious vision."

Rhubarb Rhubarb, in Birmingham

Rhubarb Rhubarb, a photographic development agency that works internationally with traditional and new technologies, will receive around £100,000 a year for the next three years, representing a 7% cut, says company manager Lorna-Mary Webb. However, "it's not enough for us to survive on alone," she tells BJP. "We will have to fund-raise elsewhere to allow us to continue our operations and bring photographers the same great events , and we're also having to change the way we work. We'll be taking most of our training online now. So it's a change in dynamics for us here."

Open Eye Gallery, in Liverpool

The Liverpool-based gallery, which has been developing major new premises over the past year, has seen its annual ACE funding increase by 15.4%. "This is great news for us, we're celebrating", Open Eye Director, Patrick Henry, tells BJP.

According to Henry, this success is a result of a strong application, as well as the ambitious nature of their new waterfront development plans. "We're moving ourselves to the centre of Liverpool's cultural scene. It's the biggest move in our thirty year history and will enable us to reach much bigger audiences."

De La Warr Pavilion, in Bexhill

The De La Warr Pavilion will receive up to £530,572 in funding each year for the next three years, "representing a small decrease in current funding levels," says the organisation.

"Given the tough decisions that Arts Council England had to make, we are pleased that this announcement reflects their confidence in the Pavilion to continue to deliver an ambitious arts programme for the future and to engage audiences," says director Alan Haydon. "Together with the investment from Rother District Council, we can continue with the high quality programme that our audiences and visitors now expect from us and we are grateful for the intelligent and forward-thinking decisions made from both our key stakeholders in recognizing our contribution, not only to the local community, but to the cultural and economic growth of our region. Inevitably, after today's news, the Pavilion will have to review its levels of activity and service, but quality remains paramount."

Pavilion, in Leeds

The Leeds-based visual arts commissioning agency has lost 100% of its Arts Council England funding, leaving the organisation is a dire situation. A spokeswoman couldn't comment when contacted, but BJP understands that Pavilion is now looking at options in order to survive.

Redeye Photography Network, in Manchester

Redeye has seen its annual ACE funding increase by 55.7%. According to Redeye's director, Paul Hermann, while this is undeniably good news, the sum is not as much of an increase as it first appears.

Previously, regular funding and individual grant funding were counted separately, whereas today's figures account for both. As a result,rather than receiving a 55.7% boost, Redeye's total funding has only increased in line with inflation.

Nevertheless, the organisation is grateful for the continuing support and hope to strengthen their ties with other organisations in these difficult economic times. "This is a significant day for the arts with 20% of organisations losing their funding. It's a big shift. We will all need to work together more", Hermann tells BJP.

Autograph ABP, in London

"Autograph ABP are delighted to be part of the Arts Council National Portfolio. The fact that we have continued be supported by the Arts Council at our current level is a huge endorsement for the work we have been doing over the last twenty years", the organisation's director, Mark Sealy, tells BJP in a statement.

While the London-based photographic agency is not facing drastic cuts in revenue, it has seen a decrease in ACE annual funding of 2.2%. The agency, which promotes the work of Black photographers through commissions, publications and events, will receive up to £368,773 in funding each year for the next four years, down from
£377,018 for 2010/11.

Side Gallery, in Newscastle

Side Gallery has blasted ACE's decision to cut 100% of its funding. In a statement issued to BJP, the gallery says: "The Arts Council has axed Side Gallery as a revenue client in its 'National Portfolio'. The reasons for the decision are that the gallery is part of a collective and therefore doesn't have a board; The gallery needs Arts Council funding and therefore isn't sustainable; There are too many galleries dedicated to humanist documentary photography in Side's geographical location."

But, according to Side Gallery, "this flies in the face of the fact that the collective has continued to deliver what is unquestionably the strongest cultural legacy created in the North East over the past 40 years. Unlike many Arts organisations, its egalitarian collective governance has meant Side Gallery has never approached the Arts Council or Northern Arts for a bail-out. It is the only gallery in the country dedicated to documentary photography."

It adds: "This decision is mystifying. It seems not to have taken account of the Arts Council's acknowledged understandings or of what was written in the application and the supporting documents. It seems to be rooted in a deeply prejudiced antipathy to the principle of collective organisation that flies in the face of an unparalleled record of achievement. It is a profoundly stupid, culturally illiterate and illogical decision."

We'll have more about Side Gallery's response this afternoon. Stay tuned...

Impressions Gallery, in Bradford

The Bradford-based photography venue will receive an increase in annual ACE funding of 5.1%. "This is really great news. We look forward to working with others and continuing the tradition of photographic excellence in the UK", Impressionss director, Anne McNeill, tells BJP.

The gallery will receive up to £211,090 annually over the next three years.

While McNeill noted that today's ACE funding announcements seemed to reflect a recognition of the importance of photography in the country, the Impressions director spoke out against the ACE decision to cut all funding to Newcastle's Side Gallery. "This is an absolute loss to the photography community", she tells BJP.

Four Corners Film, in London

Four Corners Film has had its application for continued funding turned down by the Arts Council.

Based in London's East End, the photography and moving image centre had been receiving, on average, £52,000 in ACE funding over the past three years.

"The Arts Council have advised us to apply to Grants for the Arts for funding, the ACE's other main grants programme, but for the moment we really want to put pressure on the Arts Council about their decision", Carla Mitchell, development director for Four Corners Film, told BJP on 30 March. But, the organisation has now published a statement over the cuts.

In it, Mitchell says that the decision is astounding. "Our new centre was funded by over £1m of public money, including the Arts Council, and its support enables people from diverse, disadvantaged backgrounds to access our specialist facilities. Who will support this now? Four Corners offers incredible value for money for what it delivers. ACE funding is a modest element of our budget, but we lever 60% of our annual income on the back of it. We hope that we will continue to work with the Arts Council and will seek a renewal of funding at the nearest opportunity. "

Chair Helen de Witt adds: "This is a hugely disappointing and, I fear, counter-productive decision for Four Corners, which could have a significant impact on artists in London accessing skills development, professional support and facilities in film and photographic production, especially the latest digital technologies. This, in turn, could have a negative effect on the production and employment prospects for artists, as well as London's arts scene more generally".

Focal Point Gallery (Southend-on-Sea Borough Council)

“We are delighted and very grateful for the 157% increase from the Arts Council, although we are upset that other organisations suffered severe cuts. It definitely takes the edge off the good news”, Focal Point Gallery director, Andrew Hunt, tells BJP.

The gallery for contemporary visual art received a massive boost in ACE funding, standing to receive up to £194,000 per year by 2014/15, up from around £75,000 for 2010/11.

According to Hunt, the huge increase in annual revenue from the ACE is in line with the gallery’s ambitious development plans. The Southend-based venue is moving to a new venue with the view of introducing “experimental and visionary” programmes that will continue to showcase internationally renowned artists at the same time as benefiting the local community.

“It’s art for all. The idea of showing top quality art rather than patronising the audience," Hunt tells BJP.