I just came across a blog post by Fin Kennedy, a playwright who attended the Performer’s Alliance Parliamentary reception earlier on this month. In it, he reports a conversation he had with Ed Vaizey, who he says claimed that recent cuts to arts funding were having no effect on the British theatre industry. Knowing the devastating impact on new and professional theatre in Derby which occurred when the Arts Council withdrew funding for the “old” Derby Playhouse a few years back, my jaw hit the floor with a loud clang while reading it!
However, to the minister’s credit, he says he will discuss any evidence offered to him that funding cuts are affecting the development of new theatre directly with the Arts Council.
Fin’s blog post can be read here – along with his call for help in gathering evidence.
(HT Theatre Devon)