Last ditch attempt to save Gwent Theatre

Slings and Arrows by Charles Way may be one of the last productions made by Gwent Theatre to visit schools

A south Wales theatre group plans a public campaign to save itself from closure after being refused an appeal against the loss of £250,000 funding.

Gwent Theatre says unless there's a sudden change of heart by the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) it'll start issuing redundancy notices this month.

The company employs around 40 people on a permanent or contract basis and warns it may cease trading in December.

It hopes to pass its assets onto a separately funded youth theatre.

Following a spending review the ACW announced in June that 32 arts centres, theatres and other organisations would not get funding from April 2011.

Gwent Theatre, a theatre in education group based in Abergavenny, was one of those affected.

It employs six full-time permanent staff and hires a range of actors, writers, musicians, and technical staff on short term contracts to produce theatre projects for schools.

Newport-born actor Michael Sheen has voiced his support for Gwent Theatre

Despite a public campaign including support from actors Michael Sheen and Gareth David-Lloyd, an assessor has ruled that the ACW followed the correct procedures and that Gwent Theatre cannot appeal against the decision.

Artistic director Gary Meredith said they would continue the political lobbying and public campaign to find a way of saving the theatre from closure.

But he admitted that at the same time they would reluctantly take steps to wind up the organisation in an orderly fashion.

"The reality is, given the present situation, that the board will have little opportunity but to issue redundancy notices at the end of this month and cease trading in December," he said.

"The board are currently looking at a plan to keep the company alive after that date - the hope is it will still exist as a legal entity."

Gwent Young People's Theatre will survive due to alternative funding

Mr Meredith added that by winding the company up while it was still solvent, it hoped to pass its assets to a partner organisation, the Gwent Young People's Theatre.

He said this project - which provided acting opportunities for more than 5,000 children last year - is funded by the Workers' Education Association and Monmouthshire County Council and not affected by ACW cuts.

A number of benefit events are planned to raise funds for Gwent Theatre, including a concert by local jazz band The Jiveoholics on 24 September.

In 2000 Gwent Theatre survived an ACW proposal to reorganise theatre in education by reducing eight companies to five when the Welsh Assembly intervened.