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Post by postscript on Mar 23, 2008 17:42:03 GMT
Grant, Yes, that is how I read it too! I have seen too many of these petition responses, and weasel words ducking any responsibility whilst appearing positive are quite common. Governments spend a lot employing specialists to put the best spin on things. Martin Its a symptom of the age. At work our email and computer system has been completely down for a week. The official release was 'Our email system has not been working 'effectively', please resend any emails 'in-case they did not get' through. to us. Miss out the word 'effectively' and replace 'in-case they did not get' by ' that will not have got' and we have the truth  Why can't the authorities just tell it how it is rather than 'spin' a story ! Graham This reminds me of a very straight forward and to the point communal memorandum sent internationally company-wide before the days of email things. PLEASE TAKE NOTE Will anyone who has despatched ANYTHING to the Eygyptian office within the last 30 days please resend as the Cairo post office burnt down last night and no one knows what has been lost or where what is left has been placed! Peter S. |
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Post by grant on Mar 23, 2008 18:27:36 GMT
Hi Peter and Everyone.
I'll try to answer your point without being too long winded Peter. In the end it all boils down to 'bums on seats' and we have had major problems in this area because of major developments on the adjacent land with the building, over a two year period, of a huge shopping centre. This has caused severe disruption to the city in general, but to the Playhouse in particular because patrons have been put off coming.
The second major point stems from the fact that Arts Council funding requires a 'broad spectrum of material' to be shown. Not all of this is mainstream entertainment and, again, people are put off coming.
A rescue package was tabled by the Board of Derby Playhouse Ltd. which included a programme of shows into 2009. This was largely accepted and would have been signed off by the Administrators had the Arts Council not demanded repayment of grants already given on the basis that they 'did not believe Derby Playhouse Ltd. was using the money expeditiously'. A statement which totally lacks foundation!
Despite this, the Arts Council is prepared to give grants to Derby City Council to run the Playhouse alongside the two venues they already control and are about to add a third.
These decisions will shortly be challenged in the High Court.
Best wishes
Grant
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