The results of the restructuring of the Arts Council of England are now known.
Sadler's Wells is to be used for conferences and trade fairs only during February next year. "We haven't got enough money to put on artistic work throughout the year," chief executive Ian Albery said. "If we can't put on something that isn't of the highest standard, it is better not to open and to raise money through conferences and trade events."
The Wells has no Arts Council core funding and receives just £220,000 from the London Arts Board.
Edinburgh Festival industrial row
BECTU may hold a strike action ballot in a dispute with the Edinburgh International Festival over the Working Time directive. The EIF is refusing to recognise the directive (introduced last autumn) which requires a rest period of eleven hours between days of work.
More financial woe for King's Head
London Fringe venue the King's Head in Islington faces financial disaster after officers from the London Grants Board recommended cutting its grant. The London Arts Board has already cut its core funding but the Foundation for Sport and the Arts gave an emergency grant of £25,000 to keep the venue going.
The LGB officers are not critical of the venue's artisic merit but are worried that points raised by the LAB review have not been addresses. They are concerned that there is no clear distinction between the theatre, a charity, and the pub, a commercial venture; that no staff restructuring has taken place; that no business plan has been produced, and that no box office system has been put in place.
No money for ailing theatres, ACE boss says
The Arts Council is not in a position to help ailing theatres such as the Redgrave in Farnham, ACE chief executive Peter Hewitt said in a question and answer session at the Actors' Church Union AGM. "....The Arts Council does not have the resources available nationally to meet the needs of every theatre," he said. "We just don't."
Belgrade Web ticket sales this week
The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, is to begin selling tickets on its Web site directly from its box office system on Monday. Other theatres expecting to do the same soon are Edinburgh's Traverse, the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park and the Salisbury playhouse.