A CAMPAIGN to stop a Berkshire council axing grant funding for the arts has the support of Theresa May MP.
She has added her voice to the Public Campaign for the Arts’ call on Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) to rethink its plans to stop helping venues such as Norden Farm, Maidenhead and The Old Court, Windsor.
The borough council has already cut core support for organisations, including the two theatres, from £233,000 last year to £120,000 this year.
Quoted in the Guardian, Mrs May said that she has seen “first-hand the excellent programmes Norden Farm” delivered and just how valuable its work is for the community. She had spoken to the council, and said: “I am continuing to urge [it] to reconsider [its] position.”
Mrs May hoped that the borough council and Norden Farm would find a solution that would be “in the best interest of the entire local community.”
Jack Gamble, director of the PCA, said that there is concern that the planned cuts will threaten the future of the two organisations.
“Norden Farm and The Old Court will play a vital role in RBWM’s post-pandemic social and economic recovery,” he said.
“At a time when they are already contending with the severe financial impact of the pandemic, a 100% cut in council support is indefensible.
“If this new budget is approved, councillors in the second most-affluent local authority in England will be investing £0 in the arts for the first time in living memory,” he said.
In a statement on the theatre’s Facebook page, Jane Corry, chief executive and artist director of Norden Farm, welcomed the petition and said that when RBWM cut funding by 45% because of the pandemic, it was upsetting but understandable.
“In response, we reduced our opening hours, reduced staffing and reduced our programme of events,” she said.
“We fundraised intensively to ensure we could deliver projects for residents, especially for children, young people and disadvantaged groups.
“We hoped that the grant would return once the economy picked up again.”
RBWM has paid for a consultant to carry out a study on Norden Farm to determine other measures the venue could take, a move welcomed by Ms Corry.
“If there is anything we’ve missed, anything, then we definitely want to try it,” she added. “We earn money from hiring space, catering, memberships and fundraising.
“But the core funding from RBWM is absolutely essential to keep the charity going.
“The grant helps with the running costs of the building, including utilities, repairs, maintenance and insurance.
“Last year, these amounts alone came to more than £120,000.”
Residents of RBWM can take part in an online budget consultation survey.
“If there is enough support from residents in the comments section we are very hopeful that funding will be re-instated,” Ms Corry said.
“Norden Farm is the only professional arts venue in Maidenhead and a place for Maidonians to be proud of.
“It took years and years of lobbying from local people and politicians to get funded and built, and 40 years of hard work to become the thriving venue it has.
“To lose all of that would be too tragic to imagine.”
RBWM is to decide whether to to cut arts fundraising on Tuesday, February 22.
For more information, visit: campaignforthearts.org
