Hello

Pentabus continues to be busy over these summer months, and scripts are pouring in for WE ARE HERE, our invitation to playwrights to submit plays for a slot in our 2012 season. We have set up a London PO Box for this, and every week I head up to see what has been delivered, unsure whether to bring a bag or a wheelbarrow….so far a bag has been sufficient, but I would love it if one of these days I turn up as usual and they bring out bursting mail bags for me to carry home! (wheelbarrow safely ready in preparation for this event. I am certain it will happen.)

We had a board meeting at Birmingham mac a couple of weeks ago, which was a great opportunity to check in with everyone, to review and reflect on recent projects, and to look forward to future exciting projects. I have to say, I had never heard of Birmingham mac until recently and on arrival I think I actually vocalised a little gasp to myself, as the place is amazing! Bright, airy, accessible, busy and filled with activity, it seemed to me exactly what an arts centre should feel like. Apparently it has recently been refurbished and it is obvious they have thought really hard about the redesign, as I think it is really successful as a building. I look forward to getting to know the venue a bit more, and have another opportunity to do so this week, as I will be there for a Pentabus Meet and Greet. Oh yes. As part of our commitment to new work, I am dedicating a lot of time this year to meeting with playwrights, both locally and nationally, and to see as much new work as possible, to identify those whose ideas might resonate with Pentabus and who might be interested in what we do. Catherine from SCRIPT has been incredible in getting the word out to regional writers that we are keen to meet with them. So meet them we will. I am very much looking forward to meeting what I hope will be a diverse mix of playwrights who are all doing interesting work in the region. I will report back after the event…….!

While all this is going on, I can’t help but mention what is going on in the back of all of our minds (as I’m sure it is in most regularly funded organisations across the land); the looming shadow of the spending cuts. Uncertainty is the main issue-we just don’t know what the future holds. However, what we are certain of is the value of the arts, and the value of what we do as a company. And it is incredible to see the strength of opinion when it comes to defending and fighting for the arts, in both individuals and organisations. I read articles, twitter posts, empassioned emails, blogs, facebook status updates on a daily basis, from people who are all articulating the obvious value of the arts in our economy. Surely these kinds of facts and figures cannot be ignored?!

To quote directly from the Arts Council website (link: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-us/why-arts-matter/) facts like:  ’the arts budget is tiny; it costs 17p a week per person - less than half the price of a pint of milk.’

‘For every £1 that the Arts Council invests, an additional £2 is generated from private and commercial sources, totalling £3 income.’

‘The UK has the largest creative sector in the EU, and relative to GDP probably the largest in the world.’

The Arts Council has put together a really strong set of reasons why any cuts to the arts should be carefully considered, I urge anyone who is interested to click on the above link and take a look, it makes for some interesting reading. And if what you read makes you want to do something, then I reckon a letter to your local MP might just make a difference.

Meanwhile, it is business as usual. And there is plenty to be getting on with!

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-us/why-arts-matter/