After the NPO decisions were announced many companies put out press releases expressing this, that or the other toward ACE. No such press releases came forward when everybody’s funding was cut, last year, by almost 10%.
Here in TheLab™ we’ve put together the press release we think should have gone out when the NPO decisions came through.
For Immediate Release
March 30th 2011
Following several weeks of planning, meetings, application writing and then waiting our company is relieved to have come through the new Arts Council England; “National Portfolio Organisation” funding process with good news for both our employees and the many thousands of people we interact with on a yearly basis through performances, workshops and classes.
As a cultural organisation we strongly believe that the work we do across the country plays a vital role in supporting the physical, educational and intellectual welfare of the people mentioned above.
This company does not feel any sense of entitlement, merely a sense of purpose. A belief that our work provides a great deal more to those that we interact with than simple financial indicators could measure.
We are acutely aware that many believe government funding of the arts is a misuse of public money that, in their view, could be better used elsewhere. Naturally we disagree with that point of view but we seek not to confront them but to highlight with more determination than ever who we are and what we do and continue to encourage those that feel like they are on the outside to come in and take part.
As we celebrate success however we must not forget the many important organisations that have lost out either through large reductions or a complete loss of financial support not only from Arts Council England but from local authorities. Many of these organisations may have to close or dramatically scale back their work as a result.
This lack of arts provision poses a serious threat to the important role cultural activity plays in society.
Over the next four years we, along with all other organisations, must resolve to tackle the obvious funding disparities that still exist. Disparities that threaten the core objectives of all cultural activity. We must openly discuss this issue and continue without pause to lobby ACE the DCMS and local and national policy makers to address these disparities so that we can, without equivocation, say that arts provision and access is truly a national achievement.
We do not express gratitude or thanks to Arts Council England but merely acknowledge the important role they play as we continue our work.
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Press Release by Article19 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License