The Byre Theatre in St Andrews will “never go under” in spite of the loss of well over £300,000 of Scottish Arts Council flexible funding, and any cuts in the operation would be a tragedy.
These defiant statements came from Byre board member Bill Sangster, who is also one of the four Fife councillors who serve St Andrews, and Jimmy Spankie, president of the Friends of the Byre.
The theatre had put in what it called a “bold, confident bid” to have flexible funding continued from April 2011, and had even been pressing for foundation funding status.
In the wake of astonishment expressed by the theatre and by its lead funder, Fife Council, Mr Sangster said that the board will have to discuss the situation.
Fife Council now appears to have been left carrying the vast bulk of Byre funding, with around £290,000 paid into the theatre every year.
The Scottish Arts Council is remaining tight-lipped over the reasons for the funding cut being made at a time when the Byre appeared to have recovered from financial problems of a few years ago, and has enjoyed considerable success on and off the stage.
A request was made to the SAC for a copy of the assessment which has led to the decision, but the body has now stated that this will not be made publicly available.
A spokesperson said that there would be a certain amount of commercial confidentiality, and the SAC would not wish to prejudice any applications being made by the theatre to any other potential funders.
It was stated, though, that the decision does not preclude the Byre from applying for other SAC cash, for example from the programming fund which can provide support for venues.
Mr Sangster said that the board felt that it had been misrepresented, and could not believe the decision has come when the theatre is receiving accolades throughout the region and Scotland.
“We cannot understand how they have come to this conclusion, and we want a meeting with them.
“Whatever happens I can never see the Byre going under, because there are other ways of countering this sort of very negative financial problem.
“The theatre does a power of work with youngsters, and through education. I can’t see any other unit as small as the Byre having the same achievements.
Tory Mid Scotland and Fife list MSP Ted Brocklebank, a former Byre board member who lives in St Andrews, said that the blow is a devastating one.
“This will hit everyone involved with the Byre over the years, not just those on the stage, but fund-raisers and others who helped it get off the ground.”
Mr Spankie, an occasional performer at the Byre, said that the committee and members helped the theatre practically and in financial ways.
“I know that the Byre takes theatre to a number of rural locations,” he said.
“If the cutback means that the youth theatre, and/or the rural productions have to cease what a tragedy.”