Arts Council cut off £40,000 grant

Mar 27 2010 by David Whetstone, The Journal

THE children who applauded yesterday when an ugly duckling became a swan were blissfully unaware they were witnessing the end of an era.

The three actors performing The Ugly Duckling, who also run Bruvvers Theatre Company, bowed, packed away their props and then headed off to a wake at a Newcastle pub.

Mike Mould, who set up Bruvvers 41 years ago to take theatre to people who can’t afford expensive tickets, has decided to call it a day after a funding application to Arts Council England, North East was turned down.

After what may prove to be the last performance of the last Bruvvers show, at Westgate Hill Primary School, Mike explained what had gone wrong.

“It has been the story of my life really, the changing fashions of the Arts Council,” he said.

“It seems to come around every 10 years. In 1979 we got our funding cut and then it happened again in 1989 and in 1999.

“We were regularly funded in the early days but they seem to change the priority of their financing every few years.”

Over the last eight years, said Mike, Bruvvers, which is based in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle, had received funding for a year’s work.

This funding of £40,000 per year had been matched by Newcastle City Council, keeping Bruvvers shows on the road, provided costs were kept to the barest minimum.

“The City have been marvellous over the years,” Mike said.

“They have offered £40,000 this year but in all honesty I can’t take it because I can’t do a year’s work on it.

“I could say I’ll do this show and that show but it’s not economic sense.”

On the Bruvvers website, the company explains its commitment to “poor audiences, working-class audiences, the disadvantaged, the dispossessed, the elderly, the very young”.

It also sets out its stall as a responsible company, stating: “We do not incur deficits, and we have never gone over budget.”

Mike set up Bruvvers Theatre Company in London with his brother, TV actor Roy Marsden, inspired by Joan Littlewood, creator of Oh! What a Lovely War.

When Mike came to Newcastle in 1973 to work with the University Theatre Company, based at what is now Northern Stage, Bruvvers came too.

Since then thousands of people have seen the shows Bruvvers has taken to schools and community centres and its annual panto has become an established favourite.

Last night Mike recalled some of the many actors who have performed with Bruvvers, including Trevor Fox, Dave Whitaker and Libby Davidson.

“We rescued Libby because she was worked as a dental nurse in Longbenton,” said Mike.

“If she ever moaned, we would say, ‘You could go back to being a dental nurse’. She would say, ‘You’re right’.”

Mike hasn’t entirely given up hope of a new Bruvvers project. But he said: “I’m 70. There’s not a lot of running around left in me.”

For Mike and his fellow actors – and dedicated Jills-of-all-trades – Judi Earl and Dorothy Ellis, it seems the Bruvvers show will not go on ... at least not just yet.

A statement from Arts Council England, North East explained: “Bruvvers applied to us through our National Lottery-funded Grants for the Arts programme.

“Demand for this scheme is extremely high and each application is assessed individually to make sure it gives the best value for public money to artists and audiences.

“On this occasion we had more good applications than we could fund with the money available. This means we had to make difficult choices.”