The New York Times-20080129-English Council To Review Arts Cuts- -Brief-

Return to: The_New_York_Times-20080129

English Council To Review Arts Cuts; [Brief]

Full Text (181  words)

Arts Council England, responding to the anger of hundreds of actors, writers and others in the arts, has decided to rethink its decision to slash financing for 194 theaters, art galleries, orchestra, literary groups and the like, The Independent of London reported. The newspaper said the board of the council, a government-financed body that allocates subsidies to the arts, will vote to reconsider its three-year $827.6 million budget at a board meeting on Tuesday. The new budget is to take effect on April 1. The proposed cuts would have forced some of England's leading regional and fringe arts groups to close, The Independent reported. Sir Christopher Frayling, chairman of the council, said he had been persuaded to reconsider some cuts by sustained and reasoned argument from protesters. Among the institutions likely to be spared cuts in whole or part are the Bush Theater in West London; the National Student Drama Festival; the London Mozart Players, a chamber orchestra; Queer Up North, a gay and lesbian arts festival based in Manchester; and Anjali dance, a London troupe for dancers with learning disabilities.