The Scottish Arts Council has been attacked by the culture committee of the Scottish Executive. In a report published last week, SAC was accused of having "exceptionally poor relationships" with clients; its relationship with the unions was described as "condescending" and "dismissive", whilst its ways of monitoring national companies in Scotland were seen as not being consistent and fair.
RNT to have a "greater commitment to regional theatre"
In a five year plan announced last week, National Theatre director Trevor Nunn announced that the company would double its own touring and showcase the best of regional theatre on the South Bank.
Nunn also said that standstill funding from the Ats Council is cripplng the company and that it wll have to find at least an extra £1m a year to cover the shortfall in the company's core funding.
RTE and C4 to film all Beckett's plays
The Irish national TV company RTE and Britain's Channel 4 are to co-produce films of all Samuel Beckett's 19 plays. Involved in the undetaking will be Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Richard Eyre, Michael Gambon, Damien Hirst, Neil Jordan, John Malkovich, David Mamet and Tom Stoppard.
Satbilisation funding for Sheffield
Financially troubled Sheffeld Theatres, which manages the city's three theatres (Crucible, Studio and Lyceum), is to receive stabilisation funding from ACE. This is in response to the fact that the group's deficit has been reduced by £100,000 from £950,000 in the last three years and this year audiences are up by 40,000 over last year. The group must now present a business plan and ACE will then decide on the amount of the award. The maximum is £1.5m.
Glasgow's Tron Theatre has had to apprach funding bodies to ask for extra support, despite a £5m redevlopment. SAC has advanced almost a quarter of next year's grant and Glasgow City Council is considering whether to change a £120,000 loan into an extra grant. It is thought that the theatre's deficit this year will be £120,000.
Loughlan gets new Fringe venue
Hugh Loughlan, who lost out in his bid to run the Assembly Rooms for the Edinburgh Fringe, has come to an agreement with Dynamic Earth to use it as a venue for this year's Fringe. The Dunamic Earth site, Edinburgh's latest and much-hyped tourist attraction, is near the bottom of the Royal Mile, not far from Holyrood Park, the venue for Fringe Sunday, but a little way from the majority of theatre venues.
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Bernard Price, actor and drama school administrator, has died of cancer, aged 74. In his early career he appeared in such stage hits as Doctor in the House, and with Jessie Matthews in her last stage appearance. He also worked as a straight man for Tony Hancock and Tommy Trinder before going on to turning around the fortunes of the New Era Academy of Drama and Music.