PENZANCE ACORN ARTS CENTRE TO CLOSE DOWN
We have just received news that the Acorn Arts Centre is to close on 31 August 2010. Trading since 1969, the centre has been at the heart of arts activities in the Penwith area of Cornwall. However, due to the current economic climate and the lack of external funding, trustee’s can only keep the venue open until the end of it’s current season. All shows booked up until 31 August will be running as usual.
Copy of the press release below:
The Trustees of the Cornwall Theatre Company, which owns and runs The Acorn Arts Centre in Penzance, have taken the decision to close the Acorn from 31st August 2010.
This decision has been taken with enormous regret but has become unavoidable given that the charity would not be financially sustainable beyond that date and therefore unable to pay its staff and its overhead costs.
“We are keen to emphasise that the currently advertised programme at the Acorn, and the summer season in Penlee Park, will be unaffected. We appreciate that many people will be very upset by this news and will want to offer their help and one of the most immediate ways people can show their support of the Acorn is to continue to buy tickets for the current season.” said Toni Kirk, the Acorn’s Centre Director.
Trustees and staff have, for many months, been exploring numerous options to meet the charity’s financial challenges but in their view, there is no likelihood of increasing revenues in the current economic climate. The Acorn has been operating with a small annual deficit for a number of years and has only been able to sustain itself by rigorously controlling its expenditure and working to secure as much income as possible.
Cornwall Council is the only funder to make an annual contribution to the on-going running costs of the venue. This year, the charity requested a larger grant from Cornwall Council but, regrettably for all involved, the Council was unable to meet this request. Arts Council England has not offered any prospect of the Acorn becoming a “regularly funded organisation” (RFO), a status which enables many West Country venues and artistic organisations to function effectively (but which is currently not being granted to any new clients by ACE). However, we would like to thank the officers of both organisations for their encouragement and support. This funding situation has meant a “hand-to-mouth” existence which is simply no longer viable.
The Acorn receives significantly less public funding than comparable venues across the South West region. In 2010 it will receive £30,600 (all from Cornwall Council) towards its general running cost whereas other South West venues with similar programmes, operations and audience figures receive between £75,000 and £102,000 through a combination of grants from their local authorities and Arts Council England. For the Acorn to be covering all its costs from tickets and bar sales, and assuming an average 60% capacity audience across the year, each and every customer would need to spend in the region of £23 on each visit to the venue and we would need to charge £1100 to hire the venue for each performance (the current charge is £260). This is not a realistic proposition.
“The staff and Trustees have worked so hard over the past few years to try to secure the long term future of the Acorn. We are all deeply upset that this decision has had to be taken but we are aware that as a small venue there is only so much income we can generate from the local community and that the long term solution is to secure additional unrestricted funding but this has been unattainable in the current financial climate.” said Toni Kirk
Colin Rogers, on behalf of the Trustees, said: “We believe passionately in the importance of the Acorn as a vital centre of the cultural life of West Cornwall and have made this decision with very heavy hearts. The Acorn offers such a rich and varied artistic experience to the public and is an indispensible venue for local and visiting artists and companies. Over the last five challenging years, it has been run extremely well and with great dedication by our Centre Director, Toni Kirk, and her terrific staff. However, operating in an area where a large part of the community does not have much disposable income to spend on cultural activities means that an arts centre can only be sustained by regular, sustained investment of public funds. We sincerely hope that, while activity in the building must cease on 31st August, a sufficient swell of public opinion will bring the long-term financial support that is needed to re-open the Acorn before too long.”
