News – New initiative for theatre partnerships

A joint initiative to support theatre managers from the subsidised sector working with commercial producers has been announced by Arts Council England and the Theatre Investment Fund.
Developed in response to the Arts Council?s Theatre Review, the scheme involves the establishment of a package of support with seminars, an information helpline and a mentoring programme for managers and boards developing work with commercial partners. ?Relationships Between Subsidised and Commercial Theatre?, a new publication by Robert Cogo-Fawcett, was launched alongside the package of proposals. He sets out to debunk some of the myths which surround the transfer of productions from the subsidised to the commercial sector and acknowledges that, if the health of the industry as a whole is to be preserved, there is a need to break down the mystique that pervades partnerships between the two sectors. The publication can be downloaded at w: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk