Nottingham Playhouse Responds to Proposed Funding Cuts

On Tuesday 5th Nottinghamshire County Council announced without warning, that Nottingham Playhouse could potentially lose 100 percent of its funding (£94,500) as part of £154m worth of cuts they have to make over the next three years.

Statement from Stephanie Sirr, Chief Executive, Nottingham Playhouse: "We understand that local authorities are having to make tough decisions. However, we have worked in partnership with County Council for two decades and this proposed cut came with no warning and gives us no time to plan, or react to the implications of losing a grant of almost £100,000. We have been cut three times in ten years by County but have always retained some funding and an ambitious programme benefiting young and old. Partnership is even more essential in straightened times. We need County to keep faith with Nottingham Playhouse, which is providing a wide ranging service across the County despite being located within the City boundary, to ensure we all weather this storm."

Statement from the council about these proposed cuts:

Councillor Joyce Bosnjak, Deputy Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "We recognise that Nottingham Playhouse makes a valuable contribution to the area's economy and arts development. However, it is located in the City of Nottingham, which is not under the jurisdiction of the County Council. None of the theatres which do fall into the County Council's area receive any grant support from the Council. The Playhouse also has access to a number of other sources of funding, including the Arts Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and Nottingham City Council, in addition to income through ticket sales and other activities."

Statement from Giles Croft, Artistic Director, Nottingham Playhouse: "There will be consequences and any choice we have to make will be difficult, and could have a significant affect on us and the local communities with which we engage."

Nottingham Playhouse's response to these proposed cuts:

The key facts

• Nottingham Playhouse delivers work to and for a wide ranging county audience via our main stage, studio, touring, education and participation work.
• Like many regional arts organizations, The Playhouse has already been subject to central government Arts Council funding cuts; this proposed County Council cut will therefore impact greatly on an already lean theatre.
• In the year in which The Playhouse celebrated its 50th year, produced world and European premieres, achieved the two highest-selling dramas in its history, started numerous new participatory groups for different age groups, and attracted an unprecedented level of critical acclaim to the theatre, it is disappointing to receive a proposed 100% loss of support from the County.
• In 2012/13, 64,920 tickets were purchased by County attenders. This figure does not include any of the participants in our numerous participatory groups, from our three youth theatres to our Club Encore (for anyone over 50).
• Total income from these ticket sales was £890,847; therefore every pound of our £94.5k grant from County generated a £9.43 return.
• In the last 12 months, we have welcomed more than 5,600 school children from the county.
• So far in 2013/14, in the first half of the year, we have welcomed more than 19,000 adult attenders from the County, 7,500 young people from the County, and sold more than 12,500 concession tickets (schools, young people, OAP, Hothouse (discounted tickets for groups who could not otherwise attend theatre) to County residents.
• In 2012, 21,658 tickets (almost 47%) for our annual pantomime were purchased by County residents.
• An independent assessment in 2006 confirmed £13m of economic benefit generated for the region by The Playhouse each year.

One of many testimonials over the last seven days since the proposed cuts were announced (from a parent): "Nottingham Playhouse has been brilliant for all four of our children. Youth Theatre has given them confidence - not just confidence to do the drama-y things, but confidence to be themselves. The subjects they have looked at in youth theatre (through drama) have been amazing, it has really opened their eyes to injustices in the world and taught them that they have a voice and can use it. I don't think that there can be a more important lesson than that. Cutting funding to a place that develops young people in such a positive way is mad! And that's only The Youth Theatre. Critics Circle has provided them with so many opportunities to see the sort of theatre that it is very easy for young people to miss out on - challenging theatre (1984, Kite Runner etc), stuff that's not always easy to watch but is so important to see and understand. Then there are all the extra opportunities that The Playhouse creates, such as the chance to take part in Richard III, the chance to participate in a workshop led by teachers from Bosnia, participating in the Regional Youth Theatre Festival etc etc. All of these things are character forming and go a long way towards making the lovely group of young people who are involved with The Playhouse and consequently are the face of Nottingham to many of the people they meet."

Full story, including ways to respond to the proposed cuts, can be found on Nottingham Playhouse website http://www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/news/nottingham-playhouse-faces-cuts/.

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