“Regional theatres have been in receipt of a triple whammy”
Tom Morris explains the precarious reality of regional theatre.
This is a brilliantly argued report, and it's essential to see it in context. Regional theatres have been in receipt of a triple whammy. First of all our core funding was cut in the austerity measure. Secondly, across the country, local authorities have reduced their investment in the arts, although thankfully in Bristol it's been at least kept steady. And thirdly, as we all know, the philanthropic and sponsorship income that we've been encouraged to raise is far harder to attain in the regions than it is in London.
What that means is that in any regional theatre, even here where over the last year we've smashed box office records with Peter Pan and A Midsummer Night's Dream and Neil Bartlett's Great Expectations now playing, has had reviews to die for, we're absolutely in the margins of viability. We're looking day by day at whether or not we can afford to create next year's programme, and that's because of that triple whammy. The reality is precarious.
In terms of the analysis the report makes, it's brilliantly vivid. Seventy-five percent of the investment is going to fifteen percent of the population in London, and a disproportionate amount of lottery funding is going to London. And that's clearly not fair.
This is a brilliantly argued report, and it's essential to see it in context. Regional theatres have been in receipt of a triple whammy. First of all our core funding was cut in the austerity measure. Secondly, across the country, local authorities have reduced their investment in the arts, although thankfully in Bristol it's been at least kept steady. And thirdly, as we all know, the philanthropic and sponsorship income that we've been encouraged to raise is far harder to attain in the regions than it is in London.
What that means is that in any regional theatre, even here where over the last year we've smashed box office records with Peter Pan and A Midsummer Night's Dream and Neil Bartlett's Great Expectations now playing, has had reviews to die for, we're absolutely in the margins of viability. We're looking day by day at whether or not we can afford to create next year's programme, and that's because of that triple whammy. The reality is precarious.
In terms of the analysis the report makes, it's brilliantly vivid. Seventy-five percent of the investment is going to fifteen percent of the population in London, and a disproportionate amount of lottery funding is going to London. And that's clearly not fair.