Madam, – It has come to my attention that the Corn Exchange Theatre Company, for whom I have worked as a composer, has recently suffered a crippling 48 per cent cut in its Arts Council funding. This is an astonishing decision given the standard of the company’s work.
Most recently, the Corn Exchange production of Freefallby Michael West has received nominations in the Irish Times Theatre Awards for Best New Play, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Moreover, its 2004 production of Dublin by Lamplightremains the most extraordinarily inventive and exuberant production on which I have ever worked.
The overall cut to arts funding this year was six per cent. What,therefore could justify such a disproportionate assault on the ongoing existence of one of our finest and most innovative theatre companies? A dismissal, such as this, of excellence, is demoralising to all of us who work in the theatre and in the arts generally. – Yours, etc,