Ali Hodge - Reader in Theatre Practice, Royal Holloway

Dear Richard and Judy,I

am writing to express my deep support of CPR in its current funding crisis. I was completely amazed and horrified by the news that the Arts Council may cut their funding of CPR inviting the organisation to apply on a project basis in the future. To remove your core funding would be nothing short of disastrous for an organisation whose annual programme of work offers a unique focus for both national and international performance practice.

Over many, many years CPR has provided an invaluable window on the world for UK artists and students. The workshops, exchanges, conferences, public performances, etc, etc, have provided priceless opportunities for practitioners to encounter and engage with international work on a deep level. It is not in any way an exaggeration to acknowledge CPR's deep influence on the development of performance practice in the UK.

To offer one example: you were the first organisation to bring Gardzienice Theatre to the UK. I saw them in Cardiff in 1989 during the tour and you were able to put me in contact with the Artistic Director afterwards. This led me to work with them in Poland for the following 2 years and enabled me to bring many other UK practitioners to Gardzienice including Nikki Sved (Artistic Director-Theatre Alibi), Dan Jamieson (writer) Emma Rice (Artistic Director-Knee High), Pete Bramley (Rose Bruford) and the singer, Katie Tunstall. All of whom will acknowledge the influence of their training with Gardzienice on their artistic development.

I am sure that there are numerous stories of this kind which will illustrate the many ways in which your cultural activities have been and continue to be highly significant for the artistic life blood of this country. I know that the Arts Council has an International Policy - I can think of no better elaboration of it than their continued support of CPR.

Yours,
Ali Hodge
Reader in Theatre Practice
Royal Holloway