Council delight as "gem of a theatre" is spared funding cut

8.37.43pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 10th Feb 2008

• RICHMOND Council has reacted with relief and delight to the news that the Orange Tree Theatre is to be spared a funding cut.

The Arts Council had threatened to slash the theatre's grant by £61,000 in the coming financial year. However, the proposal was overturned at a meeting of the Arts Council's Regional Council last week. The Regional Council felt that there was "not a strong enough strategic case to demonstrate why the investment should be removed from the Orange Tree, as opposed to other London theatres." Intervention by Richmond Council had played a part in their decision as they "noted the letter of support from the Council which identified the perceived serious implications for the theatre's sustainability."

The Leader of Richmond Council, Cllr Serge Lourie, said: "This is marvellous news and we are immensely relieved that the theatre's funding is no longer under threat. The Orange Tree is a little gem and a cut in grant would have seriously jeopardised its future programmes. Richmond Council has long championed this theatre. We have always given it our full support, including financial backing, and we are delighted that our intervention played a part in the proposal being scrapped."