30 March 2011
Posted in
Theatre
Writers' Guild reaction to Arts Council announcements
The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain is relieved that most theatres that present new writing have kept much of their Arts Council England funding, but distressed that some important sites have suffered more serious cuts.
The past decade has seen a huge expansion of new writing across the full range of the English theatre (up from around 20% to over 40% of the repertoire). While regretting the loss of theatres in Derby and Exeter, the Writers' Guild welcomes the fact that most theatres that present new writing have suffered only the median 2.3% cash (11.0% real) cut in the settlement announced today. We are pleased that the Royal Court has received an above-average rise (though still a 5% cut in real terms), as well as other theatres with an important new writing record, such as Live Theatre, Newcastle and Paines Plough. We also welcome the Council's emphasis on touring, which is one way to give successful new plays a future life.
However, we are distressed that a number of important sites for new writing - including the Almeida and Out of Joint - have suffered much higher than average cuts.
We are very pleased that the Arts Council has given increased funding to some of the new writing development agencies whose work is vital to developing writers, including New Writing North, Writing East Midlands and (for the first time) Writing West Midlands. However, we are very disturbed by the decision to cut Theatre Writing Partnership in the East Midlands and the North-West Playwrights. We also regret the Arts Council's decision to cut the Poetry Book Society, which administers the T.S.Eliot award. We welcome increased funding for a number of small publishers, though we're distressed that the innovative and successful Birmingham publisher, Tindal St Press, has been cut.
Guild President and leading playwright David Edgar commented: 'It's difficult to see an overall picture while the full list of winners and losers is still emerging. We welcome that there appear not to have been any major new writing casualties. However, the savage cuts to the Almeida and Out of Joint are particularly worrying. Although some new writing agencies have been added to the portfolio, the loss of the groundbreaking North West Playwrights is a grievous loss. The overall picture is of a sector that is being severely squeezed, with most theatre companies facing cuts of over 10% in real terms, on top of cuts imposed last year. There will be a temptation to cut back on new work which must be resisted. It is also vital that the sector prepares the arguments for renewed funding in the future, both nationally and locally.'
Note: This article was amended slightly in paragraphs four and five on 31.03.2011 to incorporate information that had been missed when the article was first written.
