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The Watermill's Arts Council Funding News
The Watermill Theatre has been awarded the following amounts from the Arts Council’s National Portfolio Awards
2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015
£470,000 £470,000 £470,000
Whilst these figures are less than the theatre applied for it does seem to be a large increase on its 2010/2011 award of £334,784. However this increase in the venue’s core funding now, for the first time, includes money for national touring work. In the past The Watermill’s core funding excluded this and the venue had to apply for funding to tour its work project by project. This new money makes for a more secure future for The Watermill’s touring projects which are enjoyed by audiences across the country.
The Arts Council Report on awarding the increase made the following points:
The Watermill Theatre, a regularly funded organisation (RFO), is a small but strongly performing, producing theatre. It produces high-quality work within a mixed business economy for significant numbers of people. Their application consolidates their mid-scale touring and there is a strong case for this.
The Watermill Theatre is particularly strong in two areas: music theatre and ensemble Shakespeare and the quality of their work is evidenced by the sustained number of national broadsheet reviews, national awards, West End-transfers and a strong demand on the national touring circuit. Talent development is at the heart of how it develops work with many artists’ careers launching at Watermill, such as Edward Hall and John Doyle.
The Watermill Theatre audience levels are operating at impressive levels (80% average houses) with 65,000 people attending in 2009/10. Significant further attendances (25,000) are achieved through its touring (Grants for the arts, and National Touring Contracts funded). Outreach activities also widen access through small-scale community touring and a range of multi-artform, life-long learning activities, generating a further 15,000 attendances.
A major proportion of the theatre’s outreach programme is directed at children and young people (CYP) centring around its youth theatre provision (reaching 150 CYP per week) and its work in schools. It also includes a programme of holiday activities and performances for children. The team aims to expand activity offsite through partnerships with targeted organisations, which begins to address issues around their isolated rural location. A key part of its produced work is for a family audience (13,000 people), for which it is investigating post-home exploitation.
‘We are all absolutely delighted by the Arts Council’s support of the Watermill. It is recognition that although we are small, we have a position of national significance. The Arts Council has continued to support us because of the high quality work for which we are known, the contribution we make to encouraging the careers of young artists, our extensive programme of work for young people and the great value for money we offer to our community. We are proud to have the tremendous support of our loyal audiences and we look forward to the next three years with renewed optimism.’
Hedda Beeby - Artistic & Executive Director
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