"Farcical" Welsh new writing plan
Under plans announced by the Arts Council of Wales, grant aid for new writing in Welsh and English will be concentrated on the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, efectively sounding the death knell for the two most prominent new writing companies, Made in Wales and Dalier Sylw. The new centre will receive £170,000 funding from ACW.
Phil Clarke, artistic director of the Sherman, called the decision "farcical". ACW funded Made in Wales and Dalier Sylw in the sum of £260,000, so that, effectively, £90,000 has been "lost". Bethan Jones, artistic director of Dalier Sylw, claimed it was just a cost-cutting exercise.
The Arts Council of Wales has announced the "winners" in the reorganisation for theatre for young people in South and Mid-Wales:
Thanks to Keith Morris of the Theatre in Wales Website for the previous two stories.
Many theatres are being prevented from setting up online booking because banks do not trust them to cover possible losses, according to a report in the Stage. To be able to take online bookings via credit card, companies need an online merchant ID which tells credit card companies that they are financially trustowrthy and reliable, but many banks are refusing to authorise IDs if the company concerned has a tight budget or is subsidised. Even companies which have a merchant ID for normal credit card transactions are finding problems and it would be a breach of the banks' terms if they used their IDs for online sales.
As a result companies are being forced to use one of the big ticketing companies such as Ticket.com, with whom many existing clients are in dispute over the size of commission.
King's Head appeal turned down
The London Borough Grants Committee has turned down the King's Head's appeal against the committee's decision to stop its grant and this could lead to productions stopping in April. The Islington fringe theatre's grant was refused because of management and other problems revealed by a report by the London Arts Board, the venue's other funder. The theatre claims that these problems are being addressed.
All that is currently keeping the theatre going is a £25,000 grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts.
The Arts Concil of Wales is to adopt a more open approach in the future and will "make all information available unless there are good reasons why it cannot." All minutes, agendas and published material will be made available in Welsh and English.
Six shortlisted for Assembly Rooms
Six bids have been shortlisted for the management of Edinburgh Fringe venue, the Assembly Rooms. The candidates have not been named, although it is known that Karen Koren, director of the Gilded Balloon, and Noel Faulkner, Comedy Cafe owner, dropped out. It is understood that William Burdett-Coutts, who has run the venue for the last twenty years, is one of those shortlisted/
The City Council is expected to announce its decision in November.
Bognor Alexandra clears 70% of debts
Bognor's Alexandra Theatre has cleared £70,000 of its £100,000 indebtedness, despite receiving no council funding. In addition, health and safety problems which had led to the venue being closed last summer have been fixed. The theatre reopened in July under new management and now Arun Council has agreed to consider giving grant aid on the production of an acceptable business plan.