Black-led and Risky

When Pat Cumper: the then Artistic Director of Talawa Theatre Company and me met the Arts Council's Head of Theatre in November 2010 to report on the progress of Sustained Theatre, we were feeling pleased with ourselves. In the previous 18 months the target outcomes for the programme as set out in the 2006 consultation report 'Whose Theatre' had been reached. Admin spending on the project had been drastically reduced during my tenure as Chair of the "National Artists Team" and there were 5 credible proposals for capital projects to create buildings across the country for the development of UK Black and Asian performing arts. Rather than pleasure or congratulations, this Sultana of arts policy became visibly agitated and expressed concern. She couldn't understand why we would want to develop independent capital projects when there were so many "established" companies with which we could have formed partnerships.

Embarrassing fiascos like the High Bridge Studios gave rise to a new mantra "Buildings are Bad!" Several Arts Council wrists were smarting from high profile cock-ups and projects that should never have been given green lights so procedures were being toughened up. By the time I told the Head of the Arts Council in North East England that we'd "found a building for Sustained Theatre in Newcastle", her response was "I'm utterly opposed". She knew nothing about the building, our plans for it, how much it would cost, but she opposed it. About £45m has been spent on cultural capital projects in Newcastle and Gateshead in the last 10 or so years, but access to those spaces by minority artists has not increased, their support infrastructure has diminished and creative professionals have left the region or the sector. ACE policy now dictates that there's no need for infrastructure organisations like Intercultural Arts because "diversity" is a cross-cutting theme.

ACE wants cultural venues to maximise their earned income especially from box office and to ensure access by minority ethnic artists without seeing that the two things potentially conflict: almost by definition; "minority" arts is unlikely to attract major audiences- especially when budgets for venues to develop relationships with minority communities have been diminished. Rather than support the proliferation of Black-led venues, ACE believes safe and experienced hands should lead the way. I have discovered that the company I formed with the aim of managing the proposed 'Intercultural Community Organisations Network North East or "ICONNE" Centre' will/may not be deemed a suitable recipient of the Sustained Theatre grant for the North East because it has no track record of successful building management. -Despite 3 of the 5 directors of the company having extensive relevant building development and management experience and an expressed willingness to engage additional experience and expertise should the bid be successful.

This makes no sense to me. Imagine if Norman Foster started a new company and bid for this grant: by stated ACE logic it would be deemed as lacking a successful track record... Perhaps I'll write and ask him to join us, the worst thing he could say is "no" and we're getting used to that!