Reprieve for arts groups threatened with funding cuts

The Arts Council has offered a last-minute reprieve to 17 organisations that had been threatened with crippling funding cuts.

The decision was welcomed by campaigners who had held protests to save funding for groups including the Northcott Theatre in Exeter, the Bush Theatre in London and the National Student Drama Festival.

In letters delivered just before Christmas, 194 organisations had learnt that their funding could be axed, with a further 35 facing a reduction in grants, as part of the most radical redistribution of cash in the council's 30-year history. This came despite a £50m increase in government funding over three years announced in October last year.

The targeted arts groups were given five weeks to mount appeals. Funding has now been withdrawn from 185 groups, while another 27 have seen cuts.

Many of the groups whose funding was saved had led campaigns championed by celebrities and arts industry luminaries. The 11th-hour reprieve came only weeks after 500 actors, including Sir Ian McKellen, Kevin Spacey and Joanna Lumley, met at the Young Vic theatre to pass a vote of no confidence in the Arts Council.

The council's chairman Christopher Frayling denied the decisions were related to the "decibel levels" of the protests or the celebrity count attached to each campaign. "This has not been about the sophistication of campaigns," he said. "It has nothing to do with the decibel level. This is not a U-turn and not a climb-down."

The reprieved organisations will now receive a total of £5m in grants over the next three years.

The nine groups which had been threatened with a withdrawal of funding were the African and Caribbean Music Circuit; Jacksons Lane community arts centre in north London; the Arts Digest research group; the lesbian and gay organisation Queer Up North; the Northcott Theatre; the Rideout organisation for the rehabilitation of prisoners through the arts; Scarborough's National Student Drama Festival, the Bristol Old Vic; and the theatre company Eastern Angles.

Eight groups initially threatened with reduced grants will see funding partially restored including the Bush Theatre; the publishers Anvil Press and Arcadia Books; Harrogate Theatre; Film London; the Orange Tree Theatre; the Crafts Council; and the Birmingham Opera Company.

Nicholas Hytner, the National Theatre's artistic director, who had lobbied on behalf of the Northcott and the National Student Drama Festival, said he was satisfied with the outcome.

"I am delighted that the Arts Council has reviewed its initial proposals so thoroughly," he said. "It is very welcome and it bodes well for the future."

Equity, the actors' union, said it was still concerned by the council's "secrecy" and lack of communication with artists during its decision-making period.

Louise de Winter, director of the campaign group, National Campaign for the Arts, said: "We are concerned about those organisations that have not been granted a reprieve, as our understanding is that some decisions to withdraw funding have been made on inaccurate data and evidence.

"We will now be working with those organisations to ascertain how they might wish to go forward, to see if they intend to appeal, and to ensure that they are able to secure transitional funding arrangements where necessary."

Mr Frayling defended the spending strategy for 2008-11, saying the council was "not a cashpoint machine".

"We should always go for excellence and not shy away from difficult funding decisions when the need arises," he said.

More than 700 groups will see their grants go up by at least the rate of inflation while 211 can expect substantial increases.

Winners...

* The Bush

The west London theatre's campaign against a threatened cut of £180,000 to its £480,000 grant was supported by Dame Judi Dench, Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard, who said it was a vital training ground for generations of playwrights. It will now receive £503,998 next year and £517,606 the following year.

* Eastern Angles Theatre Company

The Ipswich-based group was warned its funding could be slashed from £218,000 to £118,000, but its grant for next year is now £195,000. The group was criticised by the Arts Council for being "sub-regional" but its artistic director Ivan Cutting used a variety of television and radio programmes to mount a strong defence.

* National Student Drama Festival

The decision to withdraw a £52,790 grant for a festival where Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall and Timothy West once performed was taken by the council's Yorkshire region, which was accused of failing to consider its national significance. More than 3,000 people signed a petition to save it. The regional council has now agreed to allow for an above-inflation increase of £54,215, and committed to carry out a review of the issues raised.

* Northcott Theatre

The Exeter theatre, had been told its grant would be cut, meaning that theatregoers in Devon would have to travel out of the county to see similar productions. It was told yesterday it would receive full funding.

... and losers

* Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

The theatre – in Guildford, Surrey – has had its £436,026 annual grant withdrawn.

* Watermans Arts Centre

London's leading Asian arts venue, in Brentford, has had its £427,580 grant withdrawn. It plans to challenge the decision in court.

* The Drill Hall

The gay and lesbian theatre venue in central London faces an uncertain future after losing its £253,225 grant from April 2008.

* Pop-Up Theatre

The children's company in north London lost its entire grant of £194,110. Michael Dalton, the artistic director, said: "It is a tragic mistake."

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