Written evidence submitted by the Farnham
Theatre Association Ltd (arts 66)
The Farnham Theatre Association (FTA) is a small
company limited by guarantee dedicated to restoring a theatre
building to Farnham. The Association has strong public support
for its campaign to enable theatre companies to stage live productions
which are not possible elsewhere in the town and to provide educational
opportunities for all.
FTA does not receive Arts Council funding but
has received grants through the Surrey Communities Foundation
to continue its campaign for a theatre building for the purposes
mentioned above, which are listed in its constitution.
The FTA recognises that the main target for
this Inquiry is the larger, widely based and nationally renowned
arts organisations but would stress that the need for detailed
consideration to be given to the needs of smaller locally based
organisations. The FTA response is therefore limited to circumstances
concerning our experience of regional theatre provision in the
South of England. Some of the Inquiry issues are not applicable
to us or require information outside our field of knowledge.
SUMMARY OF
RESPONSE
— Arts Council of England (ACE) funding
policy for theatre has resulted in the closure of some regional
venues with considerable social loss and economic disadvantage
to communities. The Theatres Trust "Theatre Buildings at
Risk" Register 2010 lists 43 theatres at risk.
— Central and Local Government funding
for theatre needs to be invested in venues as well as theatre
companies if it is to make the most effective contribution to
stimulating the local economy as well as providing educational
opportunities for the wider community.
— ACE policy for withdrawing funding from
regional theatres and replacing this with support for small theatre
companies touring rural communities has not addressed the difficulty
of building stable and committed audiences for theatre or of satisfying
the needs of the larger communities.
— Grants to new theatre buildings in the
1960s-70s should be legally recovered by ACE, according to the
terms of these grants at the time, where such theatre buildings
have been given a change of use or have been demolished. It appears
that in most, if not all cases this condition has not been enforced
by ACE. The effect of this has been to reduce available working
capital to support new ventures and innovative and technologically
advanced new theatre building projects.
— Businesses and organisations should be
given more encouragement and incentives by the Government to invest
in their local communities through sponsorship and donations to
their local theatres. It should be recognised that the potential
for support for local communities from businesses, organisations
and benefactors is far less than in large urban communities.
FTA RESPONSE TO
THE ISSUES
RAISED BY
THE INQUIRY
INTO ARTS
FUNDING CUTS:
WITH REFERENCE
TO QUESTIONS
1,4,5,6,8 AND 9
1. The impact of the cuts will differ according
to the size of the organisation. There will be a proportionally
greater impact on a small organisation which has less flexibility
within its budget and less ability to attract alternative funding
to offset funding losses. With the danger of a "double dip"
recession, in areas where there is already deprivation and less
spending capacity, the effects will be deeply damaging.
2. Without the necessary overview it is
not possible to make general comments as to whether the current
system of funding, structure and distribution is the right one,
but it is possible for FTA to indicate that in some instances
funding is misdirected regarding policies for regional theatre.
3. Arts Council policy in reducing funding
for regional buildings-based theatre and replacing this with support
for small theatre companies touring village and town halls in
rural communities has been largely effective. However, although
this is a creditable objective for those rural communities, it
does not address the difficulty of creating and maintaining committed
audiences for theatre. Audiences are built over time and need
consistency in regularity and quality of productions. This cannot
be sustained by this touring model. By contrast, community theatres
involve local support and have the ability to maintain loyal audiences.
4. The funding cuts to regional theatres
in the South of England have already resulted in some theatre
closures, with the loss of these valuable purpose-built venues
to the communities who supported them. Audiences in towns which
have lost their theatres are forced to travel greater distances
to find the type of theatre which they have previously supported
and of which they have been deprived. This not only removes an
extremely valuable focal point and identity for communities but
it does not contribute to the government's avowed aim of having
a low carbon economy.
5. Towns which have lost their theatres
subsequently lose revenue from the spending in the surrounding
streets by visitors to the theatre. Local authorities similarly
lose revenue from car parks around theatres. Nationally, regional
theatres contribute at least £1.1 Billion to the economy
through additional visitor spend. [Shellard's Economic impact
study of UK theatre ACE 2004]. Theatres form a cultural and
educational resource for a town which also stimulates trade for
hotels, restaurants and shops in their neighbourhood.
6. Arts Council policies in the 1960s and
1970s [ACGB "Housing the Arts" 1959 and 1961]
resulted in capital grants for theatre buildings and particularly
for the building of new theatres. For example, The Redgrave Theatre,
Farnham received a total of £60,000 in the years 1972-73
for its construction. A condition was imposed on "Housing
the Arts" grants which required the return of the grant should
there be a change of use or demolition of the buildings. Waverley
Borough Council has recently granted permissions for change of
use and demolitions pertaining to the Redgrave Theatre for conversion
to two restaurants as part of a commercial re-development scheme.
The Arts Council has made no request for the return of the grants
made to this building, even though there are no plans to replace
the facility.
7. In these times of financial retrenchment,
it behoves the Arts Council to exercise its legal rights to reclaim
its capital grants to theatre buildings where change of use or
demolition is proposed, particularly where considerable financial
gains can be made by companies exploiting these sites. This would
apply, for example, to The Mermaid Theatre which is scheduled
to become a hotel. The lost capital investment by the Arts Council
into such buildings should be reclaimed and restored to arts provision.
8. The National Lottery was intended to
replace "The Housing the Arts" policy as a source of
funding for capital theatre projects, but Lottery money has been
diverted by the Government for other purposes over the last 15
years. Funding for the 2012 Olympic Games has taken priority over
culture and it will soon be time to reverse this situation. Arts
Lottery funding should now return to support local community theatres
and the theatre companies which use them.
9. In the current economic climate, businesses
and philanthropists should play a larger role in supporting theatres.
The example of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London is exemplary
in this respect, but it attracts sponsorship because it is of
international importance with considerable prestige for its donors
and sponsors. It is far more difficult for theatres with lower
profiles to attract this kind of money. The Committee needs to
recognise that those businesses which have already opted to support
the arts are doing so at the level that their shareholders can
reasonably afford. Similarly, benefactors will have determined
the level of support they are prepared to give, therefore, the
Committee needs to question how realistic it is to believe that
businesses and philanthropists will come forward with immediate
offers of additional commitment and funding, particularly when
the economic climate is difficult.
10. Government has a responsibility to local
communities to encourage them to thrive economically, socially,
creatively and educationally. Incentives for business and private
donors to invest in regional theatres and the creative activities
inside them should be encouraged to support their local communities.
September 2010
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