The Met in Bury is the latest in a series of regional arts venues to be under threat of closure over local authority funding. Bury Metropolitan Arts Association which runs the venue, is to have its funding cut by 20% by Bury Metropolitan Borough Council for the financial year 2007/08. The theatres Board is arguing that the cut, amounting to almost £22,000, will impact on programming, increase the organisations accumulated deficit, and could jeopardise the venues ability to stay open beyond 2008.
The venue submitted a three-year funding application to the local authority requesting £131,000 in 2007/08 and inflation-linked increases in subsequent years. The Councils funding announcement offers the venue funding for only one year and at the reduced rate of £109,000. David Agnew, Director of The Met, added, We recognise and understand the local authoritys need to operate with an open and accountable funding process& We are concerned however that operating a community venue such as The Met is not achievable on a year by year basis without a strategic approach by the local authority to the service we provide.
Burys announcement came as Northamptons Royal & Derngate Theatres received a reprieve from their own financial uncertainty with news that the County Council will step in to cover a shortfall in funding caused by a cut of £200,000 in funding from Northampton Borough Council. The newly redeveloped venue will now be looking at funding options for future years with partners including Arts Council England. Meanwhile, Wandsworth Borough Council (WBC) is still in negotiations with Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) over a revised funding offer to the venue. Having initially proposed to cut grant funding and to introduce rent and running costs for its use of the Battersea Town Hall site, moves which amounted to a cut of £370,000, WBC has now offered BAC £85,000 funding in 2007/08 and 2008/09 subject to an agreement being reached regarding a new lease on the building. Negotiations over the lease and maintenance are ongoing with a final decision expected at a WBC Executive committee meeting on 19 March.