Saturday, 9 February 2008

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Tempest toured this spa town, boasting a church to Charles the Martyr, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The venue? Trinity Arts - a lovely converted church, seating in excess of 200 people comfortably.

The story of Prospero learning again the human capacity for forgiveness, seemed particularly apt in this setting, as Shakespeare's words echoed through a packed auditorium.

Trinity Arts has had confirmation of a total cut of its Arts Council funding. What is going on? In the cause of some spurious "national" arts scene, regional theatres are being penalised for being too local. Does that mean "not metropolitan"? Is the Arts Council only concerned with provision in the cities? Who is the Arts Council serving? How can it say to us it wishes to see our touring work develop when it cuts the very spaces that are our partners? For local audiences the choice is clear: clog up the roads and drive to Brighton or whichever other nearest city, or flick through the proliferating "choice" on tv channels. 

It was a particularly rainy, grey day... I wonder how long this engineered climate is going to dominate me?

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