The Stage

Bush and Bristol Old Vic escape ACE funding cuts

Published Friday 1 February 2008 at 14:15 by Alistair Smith

Arts Council England has overturned proposed funding cuts to 17 cultural organisations, including the Bush Theatre, Northcott Theatre in Exeter and Bristol Old Vic as it announced its final decisions on public investment for the next three years.

Other companies who have been successful in convincing ACE to revise its proposals - at least in the short term - include the National Student Drama Festival, Harrogate Theatre, the Orange Tree Theatre and Jacksons Lane.

However, 185 organisations will still have their funding completely cut, while 27 will have their subsidy reduced. Among those receiving complete cuts are the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Watermans arts centre and the Derby Playhouse, although money has been reserved for producing theatre in Derby.

ACE has also begun regular funding to 81 new organisations, which include Cheek by Jowl, the Michael Clark Company and experimental theatre groups Punchdrunk and Artichoke.

Speaking as he announced ACE’s final decisions, chairman Christopher Frayling described them as the “most comprehensive” overhaul of funding that ACE had ever undertaken, but said he was “convinced it was the right strategy”.

He added: “No change in the portfolio would have been the easy option for the arts council. This is the right thing, rather than the easy thing.”

ACE chief executive Alan Davey, who has just replaced Peter Hewitt, said that lessons would have to be learnt from the recent process undertaken by the arts council and he was going to bring in an “external eye” to look at what has happened over the past two months.

Taken as a whole, the decisions represent an 8% increase in funding to the theatre sector over the next three years with subsidy over that period totalling £318 million.