Rendering #6

The article published on the website The Stage on March 15, 2013 is headlined Our theatres must not be soft targets. It was written by Samuel West. The article reports the information about the problems of British local theatres.

Here’s what’s happening: local government cuts are disproportionately hitting our cities, where most of the theatres are. In 2010, it was announced the first 100% arts funding cut.
The author gives some examples: Sheffield Theatres is facing a council cut of £100,000, just weeks after being named regional theatre of the year at the The Stage 100 Awards. Westminster has an arts budget of £350,000 – just 0.04% of its total spend. They want to cut all of it. Arts funding as a gift, and art as an add-on. Because they believe that in the absence of investment, art will happen anyway. Some may, but most won’t.
Samuel West emphasizes that a way out is to find new ways to engage the public with the value of art and culture.Get every theatre in the country to talk to its public, and get those audiences to shout loud for an excellent, affordable night out. Turn your audience into advocates. Through articles, postcards, curtain speeches, build a movement and a database; hundreds of grassroots champions every theatre can call on to say how that theatre has changed their lives.
the My Theatre Matters! campaign which is running throughout 2013 should help to make opportunities and employment for those who don’t traditionally engage with the arts."We must trumpet the economic benefits of a thriving theatre and how culture can revitalise a tired city centre." - declaim the supporters of 'the My Theatre Matters!' and I fully agree with them.
Our local theatres are an indispensable part of people becoming who they are. Despite the actions of the government we should try our thetres in any way, and such campaigns as 'the My Theatre Matters!' just help us in it!