Kabosh – Funding Cuts Press Release
Earlier today Kabosh received news of a 44% reduction in funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. We currently receive £107,000, applied for £115,000, but were offered only £60,000. This £115,000 investment would have supported three full time positions, employed over one hundred project staff throughout the year and facilitated high quality and meaningful theatre reaching an audience of approximately 13,190.
Having been established for over twenty years Kabosh has blazed the path for engaging, emotive and inspirational site specific theatre. Working extensively throughout Northern Ireland and further abroad we have transformed unconventional spaces such as the Belfast Synagogue, Drumglass Park and Limavady Work House. We have engaged with the unique political heritage of Northern Ireland through interactive and experiential theatre such as Two Roads West for Derry City of Culture and Those You Pass On The Street for a number of community groups across Northern Ireland. We have produced world class theatre such as Seven and brought our city to life through Belfast Bred and Belfast By Moonlight.
It is with a heavy heart that we received the news today of a 44% cut to our core funding which will severely inhibit the quantity of work produced by the team. We believe passionately in the work we create and as such are deeply saddened by today’s news.
We find reassurance in the fact that many of our peers have not received any cuts and so Northern Ireland will continue to have a surviving arts scene, though due to the continuing reduction of funding, certainly not thriving. And whilst we remain optimistic regarding the future of our company it must be realised that cuts to organisations such as ourselves have a real and long lasting negative impact both on the communities we serve, the artists we support and all those who work with us.