The Arts Council cuts - the damage

Well it's here – the day hundreds of arts organisations have been dreading. Today they find out what money Arts Council England will give them for the three years between 2012 and 2015.

Here's the context. The DCMS announced last year that the money it gives to ACE would drop by 29.6% over four years, going down from £452m to £350m. But it also said that front line funding could only go down by 15% and the arts council would have to reduce its administration costs by 50% over the four years.

The arts council straight away imposed a 6.9% cut on all the 850 regularly funded organisations which get money and announced plans for a brand new national portfolio. The money for that is being given out today.

They are taking the opportunity to shake things up. To bring in new organisations which they believe merit public funding. But that, of course, means many organisations will lose money altogether. [the Guardian]

Inevitably I will focus on companies from the north west, regular visitors to the north west and the major national touring companies - possibly a very personal snapshot...

• Phoenix Dance Theatre retain their ACE funding with an 11% drop.
• Forced Entertainment have been given standstill funding. 
• Gecko and Clod Ensemble added to the ACE portfolio (experimental physical theatre)
• English National Ballet down 15% (a huge amount in cash terms)
• Ockham's Razor funding up 173.2% (aerial theatre - produced the marvellous The Mill)
• The Cholmondleys & the Featherstonehaughs funding completely cut. This is pretty shocking news.

"We are enormously saddened that the Arts Council did not approve their national portfolio application. It was an incredibly exciting artistic programme planned with strong partnerships and opportunities for participation and education based on, and grown from, the experience of 27 years of existence.
We believe in the resilience of the sector and hope that there will still exist space for innovation in the face of these swingeing cuts.
The Featherstonehaughs are touring this autumn and we are looking forward to presenting these amazing shows and performers in the UK."  - statement from the Cholmondleys and the Featherstonhaughs

• Northern Ballet lose a quarter of their funding - or £800k.
• Manchester International Festival added to ACE portfolio with a grant of £500k
• Retina Dance Company get an increase of 25.2%
• Contact Theatre loses 6.4%
• Cornerhouse sees an increase of 8.2%
• Liverpool Biennial sees an increase of 9.6%
• Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse loses 4.9% (in addition to a significant hit from Liverpool City Council) Liverpool Playhouse have been making a signifcant effort to programme more dance in the last couple of years.
• Whitworth Art Gallery is new to the ACE portofolio with a grant of £75k
• The Lowry loses 11% - really bad news as the main dance venue in the Manchester/Salford area. The Lowry gives every impression of being a successful and robust business. Perhaps some more surefire hits (such as their recent sellout run of Derek Jacobi's King Lear) and more popular musical and children's theatre will secure their commitment to more leftfield and interest programming - always a strength. The Lowry have a statement on their website that their funding will remain at current levels which is fantastic news but leaves me confused as to the data from the Guardian...
• Royal Exchange Theatre loses 11% 
• greenroom has lost all its ACE funding
• Ballet Black and Henri Oguike Dance Company lose all their ACE funding.