London’s Bush and Orange Tree theatres are among the organisations whose funding has been reinstated following an appeal against cuts announced in December. Jackson’s Lane, the National Student Drama Festival, Eastern Angles, Bristol Old Vic and Exeter Nothcott have also had the proposed funding cuts reviewed.
This funding review sees 753 organisations receive increased funding, while 185 have had funding cut and 27 will receive reduced funding over the next three years. The redistribution of the £1.3 billion investment has allowed the Arts Council to fund 81 new organisations until 2011.
London arts centre the Barbican is among the newly funded organisations, while Camden’s Roundhouse receives the largest increase of £400,000. Among those companies who will not receive funding are the Drill Hall and London Bubble.
Speaking about the funding decisions, Arts Council Chair Christopher Frayling said: “This is a radical plan – as the controversy of recent weeks has shown – but one I firmly believe will help to make the arts in England even stronger. The plan backs excellence, brings in a new generation of practitioners and redistributes resources across the arts sector. It has been a complex and challenging process which has involved, throughout, working closely with arts organisations and listening to their concerns. What has emerged from this is an ambitious vision that will build on the successes of the last 10 years.”
The Arts Council’s new Chief Executive Alan Davey commented: “This has been the most far-reaching review of public funding of the arts in the history of the Arts Council and the first we have conducted as a single national organisation. It creates a real climate for excellence and innovation in the arts and I am excited by the prospect of working with the arts sector to make this vision a reality.”
It was also announced today that as part of this funding review, the National Theatre will receive £200,000 to finance its Sunday opening ambitions.
MA