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What do you think about the Northcott funding crisis? Have your say here.

Tim Tucker
The Northcott is vital to the cultural life of the South West, and has always presented a balanced programme. It would be useful if the Arts Council had been clearer about where they thought the Northcott was failing.

Chris Willis
Exeter and this area of the South West , its people , schools and community groups need and deserve this theatre especially after all the work and funding that has been recently given . £540, 000 is money well spent if the Arts Council have concerns then they need to find a more intelligent response than witholding funding in such a way that the theatre is forced to close . More open debate please and take into account what the people who USE the theatre think .

Richard Bealey
I do hope the Arts Council in Exeter and London would reconsider to keep the Northcott theatre open for future productions and not close down this beautiful theatre in Exeter. Their must be some way the Arts Council can fund the Northcott without closing it down for good and never re-open it again.I’m just thinking about how many people will be made redundant if the Arts Council decided to close down this theatre which has just done a refurbishment done of it and it is one of the beautiful theatres in the country. I enjoyed the Northcott theatre and have been in couple of shows myself. I also go out and support the professional shows as well at the Northcott and Rougmont Gardens much better than waiting for a train or a bus that never arrives on time to see shows at the other professional theatres like Plymouth or Torquay. I remember when I saw my first production at the Northcott theatre when I was very young it was called Treasure Island, I remember Treasure Island very well back then.I have notice the improvements of the Northcott theatre over the years by grants from the Arts Council, It is one of the attractive theatres in the country as a person from Exeter, as you can see what I mean. Exeter theatre experience will be gone for ever, if the Arts Council decided to close this Northcott theatre.

Colin Baker
Why should the theatre have any "handouts" let the people who use it support it! I object to any of my taxes going to a load of overpaid luvies, who like to prance around on a stage. If they cant support themselves then like any business they go bust!! I sincerly hope they , and other theatres and galleries go to the wall if they cant support themselves.

Linden Stafford
I have written twice to Arts Council South West executive director Nick Capaldi, as well as to the Arts Council in London, but have not received any explanation for the proposal to withdraw funding from the Exeter Northcott. Most of my questions are fielded by responses that the information is confidential, as if a member of the public has no right to be told why her local theatre might have to close.I have contributed to the Northcott's refurbishment three times over - as a taxpayer, as a council tax payer, and as a private individual donor to the theatre's redevelopment fund. Yet the Arts Council bureaucrats who are deciding the Northcott's fate seem to feel that they are not accountable to the public, even though they are spending taxpayers' money. Apparently the Arts Council wish to divert the Northcott's funding to organisations which are as yet unknown, and which therefore can't have proved they have a better case than the Northcott! How illogical is that?

Robin Barton
It would be a great loss to everyone in Devon and beyond if this theatre were to close. Its cultural stance has always struck me as of exceptional breadth and interest whether in drama, opera or dance. To lose such a bastion of culture, which I have enjoyed ever since I was a student at Exeter in the sixties, would be a severe blow to me and many of my friends. Besides this, the decision to stop the funding seems morally wrong when financial support was pledged before the money on refurbishment was spent.The Arts Council of England must come to its senses, fulfil its commitment and reverse this decision.

Roger Ellis
It would be quite helpful to know the reasons why the grant is to be witheld so that the public can be properly informed about this apparently strange decision.

Hubert Fernbank
I can only add my concern to that already shown by many others. I would suggest that there is something behind the Arts Council's decision which they don't wish the public to know about.

Jennifer Bassett
On Radio 4's programme Front Row, Monday 17th December, Peter Hewitt of the Arts Council was interviewed by Mark Lawson about the new cuts in arts funding. We were outraged by Hewitt's remarks on the withdrawal of Arts Council funding from the Northcott Theatre in Exeter, the reason for the cuts being, he said, because of ‘artistic concerns’ that ‘had not been addressed’. What artistic concerns? We live just outside Exeter and have been going to the Northcott Theatre for 20 years. For the last several years the Northcott has been playing to capacity houses, with a wide range of dramatic productions, and is a vibrant dramatic presence in the city. Furthermore, the theatre has just been closed for a year to undergo a major refurbishment, which was supported by the Arts Council to the tune of £100,000, with an additional revenue grant of £540,000 for the period of closure. The public was also urged to support the refurbishment of their theatre, and we, with hundreds of other local residents, made major financial contributions to the works. This now looks like a fraud, as on the very day of the theatre re-opening, 11th December 2007, the Arts Council made its announcement of withdrawal of future funding, thus in effect throwing £640,000 of taxpayers’ money down the drain, and making the local contributors feel that we are victims of a government quango fraud. If we had known that the Arts Council planned, in effect, to close the theatre, there is no way we would have contributed thousands of pounds towards refurbishment. Local people are very angry about this indeed, and look to have this decision overturned without delay.

Simon Armstrong
This represents another blow to regional theatre, following on from the £500,000 cut suffered by Lancaster and the failure of ACE to ensure the future of Derby Playhouse. We may have the Olympics, but will we have a viable theatre industry post 2012? What is going on?

mary stiff
The Northcott is our only real theatre. We can't get back from Plymouth by public transport after a show so are we now in Exeter to be a cultural desert yet a shopping mecca?The Arts council should make clear to the public why they are stopping the funding and let us join in the dicussion.

patricia watkins
Can't believe the Arts Council are going back on assurances of their commitment like tbis. A really extraordinary way to behave. The Northcott provides a wonderful service to the community, and especially now that with its tours it is bringing theatre to towns and villages right across Devon, to people who have diffculty getting to see live theatre. Hopefully the Arts Council will reconsider.

louise deane
to with draw funding for the the northcott would be tantamount to saying that we in the southwest do not appreciciate the arts; that young people cannot find a way into the atristic way of life; we therefore could lose a fundamental part of cultural life that has a significant resonance for every human being. it may be that the northcott needs to learn how to attract a wider audience, if this is the case then this needs guidance and support. once this resource has been withdrawn then it may never find a way of returning.this i feel is more about ticking the boxes for the accountants than about supporting the arts.it would be a truly sad day if there was no regional theatre.the southwest is already a cultural desert, closure would make it worse than is already is.the arts council should working towards how to make exeter a centre of excellence as opposed to finding ways of withdrawing support.

E.Powell
We have attended the Northcott since our son was at University in Exeter, and always check to see what productions are on whenever we are in the area. There are no other comparable facilities within reasonable travelling distance for holiday makers who do not want to travel as far as Plymouth. We urge the Arts Council to work with the theatre to publicise its excellent location and facilities

CHRISTINE MORRELL
I WILL REALLY MISS THE THEATRE IF IT CLOSES - THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN

Walter Boyd
Another example of the Arts Council of England being completely out of touch with reality. In addition their latest annual accounts show the regional directors of ACE to be happy to award themselves huge salaries and a bonus - thus further protecting themselves from life on the sharp end. Its time for the Arts Council Directors and staff to go back to the real world and get out of their Ivory Towers.

Pat Watkins
How can the Arts Council state how committed it is to the Northcott and then do this? We can't let it close, too important to the community. Please tell us what we can do to help!

Kevin Kane
What were the concerns made by the arts council but not met by the refurbishment?

Noel McGrath (Teignmouth)
It is an utter disgrace.Sack Nick Capaldi and his quangoid board and put them in the stocks.

Michael
This is devastating news. How can we help the fight to save the Northcott?