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The Next Stage: ACE's proposals for the future of English Theatre (3)
Addressing the Needs
ACE feels that among the results of the new policy will be:
- to encourage new work and new writing
- a new use of buildings, with a mixture of in-house, touring and
bought-in work
- cross art-form work
- "setting new voices alongside those that have shaped theatre in
this country for over five centuries"
- text-based work shown in "challenging and sometimes controversial
new lights"
- multi-cultural artists and companies
- "work of international quality which brings the best world theatre
to England, encouraging more international collaborations and enhancing
the international reputation of English theatre"
- work which reflects the local area
- work aimed at a broader range of audiences, especially young people
- to "provide a focus for the celebration of local communities. Theatres
will provide a high profile contribution to the life of the community
in which they exist and deliver measurable local, regional and national
economic benefits"
- to "deliver theatre-related education and community programmes in
collaboration with other partners throughout England"
- to help tackle social exclusion
- to "ensure that theatre buildings are a central focus for live art
provision in a community, making people of all ages, social groups
and ethnic communities feel at home in them throughout the day"
The Rewards of Investment
These will be
- A more diverse range of work produced to reach a wider range of
audiences, with up to 200 new works commissioned every year
- Artists and creative teams better resourced to deliver that work,
which will mean, among other things, bigger cast sizes, more productions,
longer rehearsal periods, and greater exploitation of product
- Space and time for risk and experimentation
- Improved access to theatre, which will include theatre happening
in a greater range of spaces and environments
- Increased opportunities for theatre's role in education - a doubling
of spending on education is promised, and "increased recognition of
the importance of drama teachers in schools and investment in the
training of new teachers to engage with theatre"
- Releasing more benefits from theatre (more apprenticeships and social
inclusion)
- Making it more possible for talent to work outside London
- Supporting organisational change (within theatres themselves)
The Scale of Investment
ACE recognises that substantially increased investment is needed, but
adds the caveat:
Nevertheless, whatever the financial circumstance, the Arts Council
is committed to implementing its National Policy as far as it is able
to do so. It hopes that the scale of available resources will allow
widespread, indeed comprehensive, implementation. Should adequate resources
not be available the Arts Council will necessarily implement its vision
for theatres less widely. It will not dilute its ambition in future
as it has in the past by funding theatres at less than an effective
level. If insufficient funds are available, the Arts Council may
not be able to make available the resources to fund all the theatres
who buy into its policy and vision. Some may have to scale down, some
may close. The positive outcomes of Arts Council policy and vision for
theatre would as a result be enjoyed by fewer, perhaps far fewer, people.
The vision will be realised, but at a limited level, and accompanied,
no doubt, by protest from the theatres who are willing but not able
to participate in its fulfilment.
Next page:
The Process - the Timetable - Links
Articles Indices:
Articles from 2002
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Articles from 2000
Articles from 1999
Articles from 1998
Articles from 1997
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