Counting the cost of free theatre

Guardian blog here.

This year’s Glastonbury could be the last, organiser admits...

more from The Times here.

Jolly well hope so. I've just booked into working a full week at the office so everyone else can go to Glastonbury - hurrah!

DCMS Definition of Culture:

* the performing and visual arts, craft, and fashion * media, film, television, video, and language * museums, artifacts, archives and design * libraries, literature, writing and publishing * the built heritage, architecture, landscape and archaeology * sports events, facilities and development * parks, open spaces, wildlife habitats, water environment and countryside recreation * children's play, playgrounds and play activities * tourism, festivals and attractions * informal leisure pursuits * licensing of alcohol, entertainment and late night refreshment

That's cleared that one up then...

Candy Hearts For You:



Make your own candy hearts here

Life

Jan's chemo has shrunk the cancers. Her life expectancy has increased from 6/8 months to 5 plus years. I'm happy but still scared about the future.

The house has fallen through (as it was literally about to do itself!). Still on the search for another one but have decided that central Exeter is a good option as we can just 'pop out' for fun fuelled evenings.

I'm enjoying the new part time job. A lot. I mean really enjoying it. It's pushing me into unconfident territory but in a good, supportive environment. Nothing more I could ask for really.

I'm cold and tired but each sunny day fills me with the hope of a blooming, warm summer.

I'm missing the Centreparcs weekend and Lornie's hen do due to the other work I'm doing at the moment.

I'm going to the gym 3 x a week.

Stoke On Trent

It's quite a long way from Exeter...again, the space was pretty amazing

Andover...

It has roundabouts, a ring road and The Lights is a rather nice arts centre.

I'm sure there'll be more to report tomorrow.

Pancake Day Joke Corner

A Frenchman once said his pancakes were crepe but he thinks they're quite good.

In Cold Blood

I spent most of last nights episode saying "wow" or "amazing" or "oh my god!". What a programme; David Attenborough just fills the screen with joy and child-like amazement at the world.

Read about it here.

Potato Pegs for Glasto

'The organisers have confirmed that they are currently intending to hand out these pegs at all the entry points. Each person with a tent will receive around 10 of the 'potato pegs', which means around a million pegs will be handed out!

After last year's festival a skip was filled full of tent pegs, that have to be removed from the ground for the safety of the cows. Mr Eavis told BBC News that they are "a real problem for the cows." The biodegradable pegs were selected from various prototypes the organisers have tested and are very strong when first used, but if left in the fields will break down over subsequent months.' Read more at Efestivals here.

Potato Pegs...it's not even April 1st yet...

Darius to play Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind musical

Rhett Butler is a quintessential hero/man/legend...I just can't imagine any Scarlett O'Hara lowering her defenses and wanting to give herself up to Darius.

This also make me happy:

















The article's a bit boring though!

This makes me so happy:

ACE Increases

A number of positive funding stories from ACE at The Stage.

The organisation that I used to work for ISAN has also had an increase....

A bit of plain speaking:

Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre has attacked the Arts Council of England saying that it has lost its way and spent too much time producing "glossy brochures that are, bluntly, bollocks". He added "They don't just invent boll***s, they live the boll***s".

What a lovely response to the news that 1 in 5 cultural organisations funding has been/will be cut by ACE.

Culture Vulture

Sir Brian McMaster’s policy review Supporting Excellence in the Arts states.

• that the board of every cultural organisation should contain at least two artists and or practitioners,
• that all publicly funded cultural organisations remove admission charges for everyone for one week each year to address the endemic ‘it’s not for me’ syndrome, and
• that the ten most innovative cultural companies receive ten-year funding packages to support their ambition.

Ok, I've worked with a number of boards and it's hard enough getting a small number of people to a board meeting let alone adding even more people into the mix. The artists (or practitioners) would become 'representatives' or silent board member i.e. unable to actually vote on the development and running of the organisation.

Remove admission charges...a comparable thing I've seen is a great reduction in the West End ticket costs with Kids Week. It doesn't work in the way that McMaster envisions; the theatres are just filled with pushy mothers and stage school brats. They are the people that the shows are already reaching. Cinemas used to do it with a free weekend - they are just filled with cinema geeks. If there was a free cultural week, of course I'd go but I'm already going...

Oh, alright I'll give him this one to a degree but only if the list only includes nationwide representatives from every fundable sector - i.e. only one orchestra, only one opera, only one ballet....plus they tour to every UK town possible and offer free tickets to local schools for a number of performances. Also a majority of the organisations shouldn't be from London.

The Guardian response here
The Times response here

Witchy-woo

I have finally passed my Correllian Wicca - First Degree (with an A). It's taken me rather a long time to get to this point with many stops and starts on the way. It should have taken a year; it's taken me over two. I've finally done it though.

Second Degree here I come!

General Points:

I've eaten out every evening since last Wednesday. Tonight, I will cook a healthy dinner with something green as I'm now feeling like a weird food experiment...today's lunch is a slim-a-soup, ryvita and an apple.

I went to a preview of Sweeney Todd last night. There are flaws a plenty but it was an enjoyable film nevertheless. I mean, where else can a girl fulfill her fetish of Johnny Depp being splattered with blood while singing Sondheim?

Life...

Life in the recent months has been played out at extremes. The ups and downs are roller coaster like and I have an almost constant about to *vomit in my hand* feeling.

Downs

• My mum has terminal cancer. There are no words I can use to explain how I feel. I do hate the word terminal...
  
• I've had a miscarriage. Yes, they are common. Yes, it was a "silly" time to get pregnant. It doesn't stop the doom laden thoughts about a future of miscarriages and an inability to have children.
• The weather. The cold, driving rain. Great when you have a warm, cosy home and hot chocolate to get back to.
  
• The lack of heating in our rented flat. It is beautiful but goddamn it's cold.
  
• The lack of a decent shower. Mornings are good when you wake up with a hot, enlivening shower. The shower dribbles and is scorching or freezing. I hate it. It is evil.
  

Ups

• A lovely new job with lovely people. 3 days a week so I have time for the freelance stuff too.
  
• We've bought a house on the same road as Lornie and Will. A 4 bedroom Edwardian end of terrace that we can (hopefully) grow a family in. It has a good sized garden and there are plans afoot for vegetables a plenty. Fingers crossed we should have the keys by February.
  
• Egypt cruise (Nile and then El Gouna) booked for December '08.

Modern Parent

My darling mother has set up a blog - read about her journey here.