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Arts Council eats into the project grants to pay for the revsions to its drama 'strategy' |
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Anna Holmes has written to all the regular project companies ( she tells me in the bar of the Sherman) to explain that the project sector has been cut to £50K for 2000-2001 as a result of the " redirection " of funding. Funded on an ad hoc basis and always the lowest of ACW priorities in recent years,the strategic plan offered hope. The ACW intended to substantially increase this area of funding,possibly into the £400-£500K region, developing companies with two of three year project funding. An idea met with excitement by many practitioners. To have repeated hacked into the budget to fund their failures and U-turns, the ACW have again shown their hand and exposed another flaw in their strategic planning. They have no genuine desire to build a vibrant culture of challanging work from new companies and writers in Wales. The project sector is the darkest of unprotected waters; no politician has voiced concern over its demise, no rallying around the flag as company after company fold, not even WAPA has batted an eyelid - despite many of the lost or unfunded being members. Instead their Chairman chose to describe the sector as a "sweatshop" of low wages. Yet the project sector has been the driving force behind much of what has made Welsh theatre exiting in recent years. This has been the domain in which Ed Thomas and Ian Rowlands have roamed and where companies such as Mappa Mundi and Frantic Assembly cut their teeth. So what now? Will I be able to buy a ticket and see Steel Wasp serve me feast or....accept a helping of "Traditional Dylan" served by the National Theatre of Mold? |
| Welsh College of Music and Drama web site: |
| Dave Roxburgh (Head of Stage Management) e-mail: |
Thursday, February 17, 2000 |
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