The National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) has attacked the DCMS’s free ticket plan (see AP179), calling it an “elitist gimmick”. The £2.5m government-funded scheme aims to offer a million free tickets to under-25s across England. However, NODA is “deeply disappointed”, accusing the scheme of “actively excluding amateur participants” and being more interested in grabbing headlines than fostering participation. Tony Gibbs, chief executive of NODA, said, “By offering the scheme as an opt-in measure for theatres, they have deliberately sealed the fate of those theatres who simply cannot afford to participate by giving away free tickets for a period of two years… once again DCMS and the Arts Council have introduced a costly measure that deliberately excludes over 5 million amateur and volunteer enthusiasts from benefiting.” NODA is now planning to launch a ‘Let Them Be’ campaign to open doors for young people interested in theatre. Its first project is to establish a youth theatre academy. It is currently in the final stages of planning and NODA expect to make a formal announcement just before Christmas. Gibbs believes that changes to the way the arts are viewed are increasingly elitist, and compares Arts Council England’s strategy of excellence unfavourably with national sports development strategies to promote participation. He added, “DCMS and the Arts Council must realise that without the dedication of over 2,500 amateur theatre groups across the country, we will fail to recruit and, more importantly, retain young people and their interest in our theatrical heritage”.
NODA has also announced a plan to offer services and support worth £100,000 in training, marketing, market research and youth development over the coming five years. The NODA Council agreed to release the money from its own funds, gained from investments, in order to create the development fund. The new plans will ensure services and products for amateur members, including theatrical performance, backstage skills and society administration training. Telephone helplines are already running for legal and media advice, the latter specifically aimed at assisting amateur companies to promote performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical ‘The Likes of Us’, which he has released directly to the amateur sector.