A CO Louth theatre project has criticised the Arts Council for rejecting the findings of its own appeals panel and for upholding a decision to cut the theatre company’s funding. The council defended the cut yesterday and said it stood by its decision.
Upstate Theatre Project, an independent performing arts company in Drogheda specialising in community theatre, had appealed the council’s decision to cut its annual grant from €140,000 to €120,000 last December.
The theatre’s appeal was upheld by an Arts Council panel chaired by an independent expert.
Upstate was given access to files relating to the grant decision. These files revealed that the decision was based upon a wrong reading of information provided by Upstate about financial information and staff restructuring.
However, the council decided its original decision would stand. In a statement yesterday, the board of Upstate Theatre Project said it “condemns the Arts Council’s position unreservedly”.
“The Arts Council’s impartial appeals panel, under an external independent chair, had found that ‘the relevant processes and procedures had not been adhered to’ and that ‘potentially misleading information may have been presented in the recommendation upon which the council based its decision’.
“The implications of this decision will be a cause of concern within the wider Irish arts community, implying as it does that the Arts Council appeals process is meaningless in real terms.”
But David Parnell, head of theatre at the Arts Council, said “the essential reason for the cut, in the expert view of the Arts Council, is that the artistic output of the company hasn’t been strong enough in the competitive context of organisations looking for public funding”.
The appeals panel held that the council had contravened an aspect of its published processes, he said, and as a result, the decision was reconsidered by a plenary meeting of the council, which was the ultimate decision-making authority.
“The finding of the plenary was that the technicality under which the appeal was upheld had no bearing on the council’s view on the quality of the artistic output of the company,” he said.
He added that the council was a little disappointed at the reaction of Upstate, “who have been reasonably well funded for the past 14 years”.