The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, has given an extra £290m to be spent on the arts in the government's Comprehensive Spending Review, which sets target spending for the next three years. £30m will be spent in the first year, £40m in the second, and £55m in the third.
On Friday 24th Chris Smith, Secretary of State at the DCMS, announced to the Commons how this money would be spent. At the same time he invited consultation on the spending plans. A large proportion of the money goes to Museums and Libraries, with £125m to the arts: see this week's feature for full details.
The Foundation for Sport and the Arts, funded by football pools promoters, has given a £140,000 grant to the Royal Opera House. The money - 10% of the total allocated by the FSA this round - will be used to pay off part of the deficit which grew last winter.
The FSA normally supports individuals and small scale and community groups or projects.
Close and Re-open the ROH, Eyre Suggests
It might be necessary to close the Royal Opera House completely and rebuild it from scratch, Sir Richard Eyre told the Commons Culture Select Committee. The House must take education work and cheaper seats seriously, he went on, before it can justify any public funding.
Glasgow's Tron Theatre goes dark next month to complete is £4.5m redevelopment. It will re-open in March 1999 with a new rehearsal studio and workshop.
The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds to to set up a new company to produce three plays over a six month period in the 350-seat Courtyard Theatre from September. The company will be headed by Sir Ian McKellan and it willl present Coward's Present Laughter, Shakespeare's The Tempest, and Chekhov's The Seagull.
The WYP has also agreed a deal with Cameron Mackintosh to present Martin Guerre in the Quarry Theatre at Christmas.