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Dateline: 11th December, 2003

If We Don't Get Better Support, I'll Resign!

Peter Doran, artistic director of the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven, West Wales, has said he will resign if there is not better support for theatre in Wales. "The people who are involved in making and running theatre in Wales are working under terrible conditions," he said at a conference about the state of English language theatre in Wales, organised in Cardiff by the Wales Association for the Performing Arts

Ten years ago the Torch produced eight shows a year: now it produces only three, and a similar situation applies in the other two mid-scale Welsh theatres, the Sherman (Cardiff) and Clwyd Theatr Cymru (Mold).

"I'd like to be in a position to produce work I want to produce and work that I feel audiences want rather than shows I can afford," he went on. "Mid-scale producing theatres in Wales want to work at optimal capacity but we can't and it's demoralising to put in all the effort for little return."

He suggests that the theatres should join forces to bring their productions to audiences across the country and called the suggestion of a Welsh national theatre "ludicrous."

The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) is spending 40% of its money this year on Theatre in Education and 20% on Welsh language theatre, much of which will be spent on the setting up of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, the new Welsh language national theatre. ACW's total theatre budget is £5.89m.

Dateline: 12th December, 2003

In reply to the Western Mail report, on which our report above was based, Peter Doran said on the Theatre in Wales website Forum:

I had only threatened to give up smoking, I'm sorry that the Western Mail got the wrong end of the stick!

On a positive note, I had a meeting yesterday (Thurs) with the Chair and Chief executive of ACW. It was very positive and gave me a great deal of hope - maybe not for more revenue in the short term - but I came away believing that these two gentlemen were very genuine and had the interests of the arts community firmly at heart. I would call on the arts community to back the arts council in their bid to persuade the WAG that the arts in Wales is well worth investing in. We need to speak with one voice and I am convinced that the voice now coming out of Museum place is a sensible one and one that we can have confidence in.

The outcome of the WAPA meeting last week was a positive one but we need to make sure that the press do not distort our view or cloud the issue with sensational headlines.

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©Peter Lathan 2003