Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, who grew up in Bristol, has been invited by bosses at the city’s Colston Hall to visit the venue and see for himself why arts funding needs to be less London-centric.
A report published by the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee this week is critical of the way the Arts Council distributes cash, which it says causes an imbalance as it tends to be spent on projects in the capital.
In September Colston Hall, the South West’s largest concert venue, launched a campaign to raise £45m to transform it into a national and regional centre for entertainment and music education. 
Colston Hall chief executive Louise Mitchell, pictured, said she wanted to show Mr Javid, who took over the culture, media and sport brief this summer, how the plans would not only create a hub for music and entertainment in his home city but also the positive impact this transformation will have on Bristol and the South West.
Colston Hall is the country’s only major concert venue not to have received funding for a facelift over recent decades. Its auditorium has changed little since The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones played there in the 1960s.
Ms Mitchell said: “It is time for the spotlight to shine on regional arts. The majority of the UK cannot miss out on much needed funding because of London. Colston Hall has been a cultural heartbeat in Bristol for nearly 150 years but it is in dire need of redevelopment if it is to continue to be enjoyed by future generations.”
The iconic building regularly plays host to a wide range of inspiring and often ground-breaking music, arts and cultural experiences to annual audiences of 200,000. In 2013 alone, the Hall played host to over 7,000 artists and musicians.
The hall’s Thank you for the Music campaign has already secured cross-party support from Bristol MPs Charlotte Leslie, Stephen Williams and Kerry McCarthy and celebrities including Wiltshire-raised jazz musician Jamie Cullum and conductor Charles Hazlewood.
