Blair attacked on drama education
"Just £2000 will get someone through drama school for a year, but there's no votes in it," Lee Menzies, chairman of the Laurence Olivier Bursary Panel, said at the announcement of the Bursary awards.
"This government was elected on a platform of education," he went on, "and has done bugger all." It is, he said, a "disgrace" that the government can find money to hold parties for "that revolting Noel Gallagher" but would do nothing for impoverished drama students.
According to the Stage, there is speculation that as many as two thirds of ACE's staff may lose their jobs under the proposals announced by Chris Smith last Friday.
An ACE spokesperson said, "Everything is up for consultation at the moment. We will know more in September."
The Arts Council of Wales has turned down a Lottery grant application from the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, which has resulted in the loss of a grant of £895,000 from the European Regional Development Fund. According to the Chapter, the reason for their not getting the grant was nothing to do with the company, but because ACW thought too much money was being given to Cardiff, a claim which the Council now denies.
Welsh reaction was one of fury, adding to the anger already felt at ACW by the Welsh theatre world.
Arts marketing agency for Edinburgh
The Audience Business (TAB) is a new marketing venture by arts organisations in Edinburgh, aimed at increasing audiences. It has been running as a pilot scheme since March and will be fully operational in October, after the appointment of a director. It is to be funded by the City Council and a SAC Lottery grant of £252,000 over the next three years.
According to a new survey, more than half of Britain's theatres are not making any preparations to deal with the Millenium Bug, which could have a major impact on their ticketing systems on 1st January, 2000.