Artistic Rant

It was announced this week that Newcastle City Council are to scrap their £1.2 million arts grant and produce a new ccultural fund that is half that amount.

This isn't a surprise; we knew this was going to happen. But it still stings and, yes, even stinks. Times are tough, we can all appreciate that, and there are areas which need to suffer. But it just feels like time and time again it is the arts that are being punished. Yes, punished.

This wouldn't happen in London, let's say, because London has Theatreland and the West End; London has a great tourist pull with their theatres.That means that London gains money out of theatres. Okay, fair enough. But when theatres are charging a huge, stupid amount for tickets to see decent shows then it means that there is a huge percentage of the population who are going to suffer. They won't be able to afford to travel to London to see these shows, let alone come and watch them; therefore they don't experience the arts and the closest thing to drama that they associate with is utter bilge such as TOWIE, Geordie Shore or worse.

Now imagine what would happen if arts budgets were increased: more local theatre, more local art, more initiatives and programmes to get young people interested and involved, more summer projects to get them off the streets and learning who they are and, best of all, having fun, for as little money as possible. As a result they determine to work harder in schools, they get better grades, they want to go to University, they want to work in the big world out there and make money, not just for themselves but helping the economy.

TOWIE doesn't teach them that; TOWIE teaches them that all they need to do in life is get a fake tan, a vajazzle and show their boobs to get instant fame.

It doesn't work like that, and it should never work like that.

For far too long the local councils have taken the arts for granted; the more money they take away, the more chance it is that these arts will eventually disappear into the murky world of a middle class minority. Local theatres offer cheap seats, but they won't be able to if their funding is cut; writing initiatives offer opportunities to up and coming writers, but they won't be able to if their funding is cut.

It's time to stop this.