FUNDING CUT
“Sheffield’s innovative Compass Theatre”
THE OBSERVER, 13 January 2008
Get Involved. Your voice is essential in our response to Arts Council England Yorkshire’s funding cut.
Let them know why Compass is important to you and why you value the Company’s work.
Write to Janet Barnes, Chair, Regional Council, Arts Council England Yorkshire, 21 Bond Street, Dewsbury WF13 1AX or email Andy Carver, Executive Director, Arts Council England Yorkshire, at andy.carver@artscouncil.org.uk.
Don’t forget to send us a copy too. Send it to the usual address or email it to info@compasstheatrecompany.com
Thank you
On Thursday, 13 December 2007 the Company received a recorded delivery letter informing us that Arts Council England Yorkshire would not continue our funding beyond the end of March 2008.
This gives the Company just 3 months notice before the complete withdrawal of its core funding after a twenty-year relationship with the Arts Council.
Despite statements in the media from Arts Council England declaring that the majority of companies losing their funding were failing and had been given warnings about their performance, this is not the case at Compass.
We had absolutely no idea that the Company was in a precarious position with Arts Council England Yorkshire. In fact, we believed entirely the opposite; that our work was held in good stead and high regard, our management and finances seen as highly effective and we understood that we had a healthy relationship with Arts Council England Yorkshire.
This extraordinary and savage decision threatens to close the Company in just 3 short months after 26 years of work.
The Company and its Board intend to make a vigorous response to the decision and the lack of proper communication between Arts Council England Yorkshire and one of its key clients.
Latest News
• At 5pm on Wednesday, 19 December, the Board of Directors of Compass Theatre Company Limited instructed us to cancel our planned Spring 2008 tour of The Dresser.
• The decision to cancel was not taken lightly. But in the circumstances, with absolutely no specific offer of financial support for the completion of the tour, and given the shockingly tight time frame imposed by Arts Council England, Yorkshire, our very experienced Board had no option but to take this decision.
• On the 14 January 2008, Compass emailed “a single response” to Arts Council England Yorkshire’s proposed funding cut. As requested, it was “brief and concise”. The Regional Council is meeting on 25 January 2008 to consider our response.