Arts cuts criticised by Newbury theatre director

Mixed fortunes for local art centres following the Arts Council England decision on future funding yesterday

AN artistic director at one of Newbury's theatres has slammed the cuts which have led to more than 200 venues losing their funding from the Arts Council England.

Approximately 1,300 venues, theatres, galleries and arts groups in the country applied for grants from the council, which had its budget cut by £100m in October's Spending Review.

More than 200 organisations that received regular, core funding from Arts Council England will no longer receive that money from 2012.

Tony Trigwell-Jones, artistic director at Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury, said he was ‘shocked' by the cuts announced yesterday (Wednesday) and said that even venues which did not apply for core funding from the Arts Council, such as Arlington Arts, will suffer indirectly.

"I am shocked at those companies that have fallen victim to the cuts: Out of Joint, Shared Experience and The Cholmondeleys & Featherstonehaughs, for instance, are iconic British theatre makers who will now struggle to survive," he said.

"It's also a tremendous pity to see whole venues having 100 per cent of their funding withdrawn – The Northcott Exeter and Riverside Studios particularly are surprising candidates for George Osborne's axe.

"Here at Arlington Arts we have not been directly affected by these cuts as we're are not funded by the Arts Council or any other body. In fact, all of our profits go to Mary Hare, the National charity for young deaf people.

"Having said that, of course as everybody begins to feel the squeeze over the course of the rest of this year, we are likely to see a drop in attendance. We're trying to tempt people out of their homes still, keeping our prices as low as possible, offering generous package deals and continuing to put on high quality shows that occasionally border on the exotic.

He added: "One twitterer talking on the subject on Wednesday summed up the Dunkirk spirit well, quoting Winston Churchill who, when asked why he didn't cut funding to the arts to help the war effort, he allegedly replied by simply saying: “What are we fighting for?"

"Whether that's verifiable or not, I think the sentiment is true and all arts organisations are now going to need all the help and support they can from audiences and industry to ensure their survival through these difficult times."

Katy Griffiths, the new director of The Corn Exchange, in Market Place, said yesterday that the venue was unsuccessful in obtaining core funding from the Arts Council, but added: "This is the first time that Arts Council England has used an open application process and the first time the Corn Exchange had been considered for regular core funding. So although it is disappointing that we have not been successful, given the significant reduction in funding that the Arts Council will receive from central government in 2012, it is not altogether surprising that organisations that have not been regularly funded in the past haven't been brought into the portfolio on this occasion.

"We will continue to be funded by Arts Council England on a project basis as has been the case in the past, and as this funding would have been from April 2012 onwards, it does not affect our plans for the next financial year.

"Looking ahead, although things will be challenging financially, the vital support we receive from our other funders; West Berkshire Council and Greenham Common Trust means that we now have the opportunity to plan ahead and ensure that we can continue to deliver the same variety of truly high quality work to our audiences."

There was better news for The Watermill theatre, Bagnor, which will receive an increase in its funding over the next three years from £311,684 in 2011-12 to £470,000 every year until 2014-15.

Hedda Beeby, the theatre's Artistic Director, said: "It is recognition that although we are small, we have a position of national significance.

"We are proud to have the tremendous support of our loyal audiences and we look forward to the next three years with renewed optimism."

The Oxford Playhouse, where The Watermill theatre often takes tours, will also receive an increase in funding for the next three years. The additional funding equates to £93,000 for 2012-13 plus a further £17,000 for 2013-14, and £6,000 for 2014-15.

Zoe Seenan, manager of Newbury Spring Festival, which this year takes place across venues in the town between May 7-21, said the funding cuts would not affect the festival directly but she could not be sure of the indirect effects.

"We don't get any core funding from the Arts Council and never have done," she said. "We sometimes receive one off project funding from the Arts Council but we haven't had that for about three years.

"The only way it may affect us is if some of the Orchestras that play at the festival have their touring funding cut and have to charge higher fees but at the moment we don't know what the knock on effects will be."

There was also bad news for South Hill Park in Bracknell which lost its core funding.

If you or your organisation has been affected by the Arts Council England funding cuts, please contact James Williams on (01635) 564533 or email james.williams@newburynews.co.uk