Source: Manchester Evening News
A UNIQUE Manchester-based arts company has launched a battle for survival after being told that its funding of almost £100,000 will be axed from March.

Queer Up North, which celebrates gay and lesbian arts and culture, is one of the victims of cuts announced by Arts Council England.

And unless the decision is overturned, the company says it will close.

Launched in 1992, Queer Up North claims to be `Europe's leading queer festival' and a Manchester institution.

Axing its funding would not only mean the closure of the festival in May, but an end to plans for all touring productions.

Artistic director Jonathan Best said they were `staggered' by the Arts Council decision.

He said: "When I was appointed in late 2006, the Arts Council wrote to me outlining their concerns about the company and explained that I'd have to improve value for money, build the audience and improve artistic standards. I've done that, but for some reason Arts Council is employing inaccurate statistics and audience data in order to justify their planned non-renewal of funding."

The council says Queer Up North does not deliver value for money, stating `audiences, while slowly increasing, are unacceptably low' and that in 2006 only 53 per cent of available tickets were sold.

But Mr Best said in 2007, the first festival he programmed, the figure rose to 70 per cent and actual numbers rose from 5,500 in 2006 to 14,700 in 2007.

"In addition we have co-produced a play for 11-14 year olds addressing the problem of homophobic bullying in schools" he said.

"This production has so far played to over 9,000 young people in Greater Manchester, London, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Glasgow and Liverpool - and we are planning further touring in 2008 and beyond."

He said the most recent audience statistics, available to the Arts Council, and which it had chosen not to use, showed Queer Up North's audience in 2007 was 23,700.

Full article: Gay arts group faces cash cut - News - Manchester Evening News