{"id":160,"date":"2014-01-24T20:24:51","date_gmt":"2014-01-24T20:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kokakola.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=160"},"modified":"2015-03-17T13:45:14","modified_gmt":"2015-03-17T13:45:14","slug":"160","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/?p=160","title":{"rendered":"Anti Cuts Campaign – Jan 2014 Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tradition is under attack as leading lights campaign against the cuts.\u00a0 FolkWales Online Magazine editor MICK TEMS reports<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
\"Feast<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f becomes a cultural desert – flashback to happier days at The Muni Arts Centre, when Feast Of Fiddles rocked it up: Brian McNeill (ex-Battlefield), Ian Cutler (ex-Bully Wee) and Peter Knight (Steeleye Span and Gigspanner) are having a ball, with Dave Mattacks (ex-Fairport Convention) on drums. Now the Muni is closing, because of Chancellor Osborne\u2019s austerity mantra<\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Playwright and panto favourite Frank Vickery has slammed proposals to slash theatre and music services in Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f, which could mean drastic cuts in folk-roots provision across the whole of South Wales.<\/p>\n

Hollywood star Michael Sheen has already urged Welsh councils not to cut funding for the arts as they plan how to balance their budgets, following Neath Port Talbot\u2019s decision to withdraw its support for the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company, the drama group with which the famous actor used to perform. Neath Port Talbot says not-for-profit organisations cannot be immune from cuts as it tackles a funding gap of nearly \u00a340 million over the next four years, caused by Tory chancellor George Osborne\u2019s austerity policies.<\/p>\n

It comes after Rhondda Cynon Taf council announced proposals to shut the Muni Arts Centre in Gelliwastad Road, Pontypridd, and operate a reduced programme of shows in the Park and Dare in Treorchy and Aberdare Coliseum.<\/p>\n

Frank, 60, who was brought up in Rhondda Fawr, lives in Gelli and wrote and starred in the critically-acclaimed production of Peter Pan, says Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f would be hit the hardest if these premier arts centres were to be shut or be downgraded. He emphasises that The Muni provides a vital service to the community and provides an important form of escapism, and Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f should not be putting a price on the arts.<\/p>\n

Frank says that the Muni\u2019s closure would leave a gaping hole in the community, and he could not understand Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f\u2019s thinking; the Muni not only acts as a theatre but as a community centre for those who want to grab a coffee, host a meeting or even have a wedding, and it is the best-used theatre in Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f. Frank\u2019s pantomime this year was probably the most successful of all time; it sold out more or less every night in Pontypridd.<\/p>\n

He says that theatres and arts venues should not be seen as a place to make money; they are there to provide a service. Closing such a venue could lead to an increase in crime and stop younger generations from taking up the performing arts, and a campaign needs to be started against all the cuts.<\/p>\n

Geoff Cripps, Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f\u2019s artistic director, has always earned praise for maintaining a policy of bringing high-quality roots music to the borough. The cuts will bring fears of a barren roots music desert across the council\u2019s area.<\/p>\n

Frank says that the whole population of Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f should stand up and shout out loud against the Muni\u2019s closure \u2013 it is a strategically-placed building and a truly special venue which people should fight to retain.<\/p>\n

Osborne\u2019s mantra would affect the Night Out grant schemes, on which all the folk clubs and many different venues rely. The City Of Cardiff says it will stop Night Out from this May. Llantrisant Folk Club, in the Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f village of Pontyclun, is still waiting to hear what will happen to Night Out; but it looks likely, with all the slashing of funds, that the Night Out scheme will be in danger.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tradition is under attack as leading lights campaign against the cuts.\u00a0 FolkWales Online Magazine editor MICK TEMS reports Rhondda Cynon T\u00e2f becomes a cultural desert – flashback to happier days at The Muni Arts Centre, when Feast Of Fiddles rocked it up: Brian McNeill (ex-Battlefield), Ian Cutler (ex-Bully Wee) and Peter Knight (Steeleye Span and…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=160"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":386,"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160\/revisions\/386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/folk.wales\/magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}