Arts Council doubles funds to Arcola
CHOOSE ARCOLA T-shirts by Katharine Hamnett, on aid of the theatre's recent fundraising appeal. Photo: Simon Annand
Dalston’s Arcola Theatre has received a large infusion of funds from the Arts Council. The theatre has recently learned that its funding will be increased from approximately £150,000 to £300,000 per year from April 2012.
The news was met with delight by the theatre’s director, Ben Todd, who said: “This brings the level of our Arts Council subsidy to approximately 30 per cent of turnover – still relatively low compared with the national average, but exactly what we need in order to continue to develop contemporary productions which excite and challenge audiences from across London.
“After ten years of working on a shoestring to deliver excellent work, but having to underpay our actors and creative teams, this grant increase will allow us to finally pay artists properly.
“It will also allow us to further bolster our flourishing youth and community arts programmes, which we have continued to deliver, despite significant loss of funding over the past twelve months, thus ensuring that Arcola continues to provide the very best theatre for and by its community.
“In this time of deep cuts across the arts, we are only too aware that other well deserving organisations have not had such good news and we will redouble our work in supporting great work by artists who do not necessarily have finance behind them”.
The funds will allow the avant-garde theatre to grow and develop in its new home on Ashwin Street and to continue its pioneering work with environmental sustainability in the arts. Arcola has a mission to become the world’s first carbon neutral theatre though Arcola Energy, a programme which spans everything from recycling bottles to the hydrogen fuel cell powering the LED lighting in the cafe/bar.
Arcola Theatre
24 Ashwin Street
Dalston E8 3DL
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