Arts groups across the West reeling from huge funding cuts

Dozens of West arts groups lost hundreds of thousands of pounds in grants yesterday in the latest cuts as part of the coalition Government's austerity measures.

But some organisations are to get Arts Council support for the first time, and there was a feeling other parts of the country may have done worse.

Yesterday's announcement was especially important in the West because, as the Daily Press has reported, cash-squeezed councils have already wielded the axe on the arts – including a 100 per cent cut in Somerset.

Arts Council England said yesterday it will no longer fund 20 South West groups, including Frome's Merlin Theatre, which loses �57,000 earmarked for next year, after seeing its Somerset grant vanish.

Other groups having their Arts Council grants withdrawn include Bath's renowned Natural Theatre, often seen at West events such as the Glastonbury Festival, which gets �145,000 this year.

Forkbeard Fantasy, which is based in Devon but works across the region, loses �233,000 and Gloucestershire Dance just over �60,000.

Meanwhile 15 South West groups will get funding for the first time in 2012-13, including Theatre Bristol (106,368), Somerset Film and Video �87,248) and Bristol's Knowle West Media Centre (�90,000).

Many arts bodies are facing 11 per cent cuts, including famous names such as Bristol Old Vic, which has had serious financial problems recently, and the city's Arnolfini and Spike Island.

Bath and Cheltenham Festivals lose 11 per cent each, as does Swindon Dance and Cinderford Artspace.

Only three South West groups suffer bigger cuts, including Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, 23 per cent, and the unfortunate Somerset-based Take Art, hammered by 52.5 per cent after it also lost its county funding.

Artistic director of Bristol Old Vic Tom Morris said the Government had "set a riddle to which there is no fair solution".

He said: "Arts Council England has been asked to make big cuts and to be progressive too. There is no way to make this scale of cut without making horrible and unpopular decisions."

Winners from the region including Dorchester Arts Centre, up 56 per cent, the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury, which gets an extra 43 per cent, and Bristol's Watershed, up 105 per cent.

Meanwhile Asian Arts Agency in Bristol can celebrate a 188 per cent increase, and Dorset-based Activate Performing Arts gets a massive 440 per cent rise, from �58,317 to �346,350.

Arts Council England said 69 South West groups would get around �52 million in funding over three years from April 2012, following a significant Government cut of 14.9 per cent.

Source: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/glastonburyfestival/Arts-reeling-huge-funding-cuts/article-3394993-detail/article.html

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