THE future of the West Sussex County Youth Theatre is under scrutiny following a county council decision to withdraw an £116,000 annual subsidy.
During a meeting at County Hall on Wednesday (January 18), county councillors suggested a partnership between the organisation, founded in 1989, and the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre.
The county council’s children and young people’s services select committee was told progress had already been made towards agreement on a partnership, branding it the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre West Sussex - ensuring countywide coverage.
Director of learning David Sword said the theatre option would not require any subsidy from the county council, if the partnership was approved by Cllr Peter Griffiths (Con, Hurstpierpoint and Bolney), cabinet member for education and schools, who makes the final decision.
As well as supporting the partnership idea, the select committee agreed to urge Cllr Griffiths to explore additional funding options, to enable provision to be expanded in the future.
The committee opposed the option of simply closing down the service.
Rupert Rowbotham, the Festival Theatre’s learning and participation director, said its existing youth theatre was very strong, and widely respected, with 620 members and 24 groups.
“We are excited by the idea of extending its range,” he added.
Mr Rowbotham told county councillors: “This is not a predatory takeover - it’s a partnership proposal.”
James Turnbull, one of the county youth theatre’s directors, who organised a 2,500-signature petition opposing the subsidy cut, said the possible loss of the service had caused a ‘far reaching level of dismay.’
Funding for the service was an investment, improving young people’s lives, and often saving them. It was ridiculous to bin a service that achieved so much.
But select committee chairman Cllr Richard Burrett (Con, Pound Hill) said Mr Turnbull’s comments related to the withdrawal of the subsidy, rather than changes in the way provision was made. The withdrawal had already been agreed as part of the county council budget.
They were considering a report on the decision the cabinet member had to make to ensure something carried forward in the future.
Cllr Chris Oxlade (Lab, Bewbush) said: “This seems to be just another hit at young people. We should be doing everything we can to give them the skills and confidence they need for later life.”
Cllr Dave Simmons (Con, Sompting) said Mr Rowbotham had made the case not only for sustained provision, but for increasing it.
And Cllr Bob Lanzer (Con, Maidenbower) said the county needed to build on the relationship with the Festival Theatre and try to make this work, while at the same time vigorously exploring new funding streams.
Cllr Mark Dunn (Con, Bourne) warned that the county council’s discretion to fund this sort of activity was limited in the extreme, and would become even more limited.
The Government had removed a great deal of local education authorities’ powers and placed these with schools, colleges and
universities, all of which were relatively protected from funding cuts.
“They have large amounts of funding which could be used in funding this,” he added.