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Theatre co to fight for £4m grant

Legal battle with Arts Council

A LEADING black theatre company is seeking a judicial review against the Arts Council following the withdrawal of a £4 million grant.
The Talawa Theatre Company had secured the grant towards a £7 million state-of-the-art theatre to be built on the site of the old Westminster Theatre in Victoria.
But the council withdrew the funding in July putting the whole plan in jeopardy.
The Arts Council claimed that this was due to “a series of ongoing issues around organisational weakness, financial viability of the building project and its artistic and business plans”.
But this week solicitors Bindman and Partners filed a claim for the judicial review into the Arts Council England’s (ACE) decision.
Solicitor John Halford told the West End Extra yesterday (Thursday) that they believed they had a good case against the council.
He said: “The Art’s Council did not follow it’s own policy with relation to its funding and the fairness of its decision.
“At moment we are waiting to see what the Arts Council say about the case, they have until October 20 to respond.
“It could be sorted by then but if not it will have to be looked at by a judge.”
He added that if the Arts Council did not change its decision the future of the building in Victoria would be plunged into controversy.
He said: “This project is not just a glint in the eye, it is half built.”
Talawa was founded in 1986 and its Britain’s longest established black theatre company.
They had hoped that their new home would be completed by March 2006.
A spokeswoman for the Arts Council confirmed that they had received documents from Talawa’s solicitors.
She said: “We acknowledge receipt of correspondence from solicitors acting on behalf of Talawa Theatre Company, to which we will respond in accordance with the appropriate legal framework.
“It would be both inappropriate and premature to comment further at this time.”
But she added: “We remain confident that due process has been followed in our decisions in regard to Talawa and equally confident that we can defend successfully any judicial review claim against us.
“Our statements of withdrawal from the Westminster capital project and future revenue funding to Talawa still stand.”



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