Prof. Mick Wallis - School of Performance and Cultural Industries, University of Leeds

Dear Judie and Richard,

The news that ACW intends to withdraw revenue funding from CPR from July
2008 is utterly dumbfounding - even in the context of some clearly misjudged
decisions by ACE in recent months. Someone somewhere has decided that a new
broom is needed, and on no better basis than that 'change' is somehow good.

The paradox of course is that CPR precisely promotes change, development and
innovation; while ACW's intended shift to supporting 'frontline' enterprises
smacks far too much of playing to the bland and comfortable.

Your argument against a shift to project funding is eloquently made. Such a
shift would rob CPR - and hence Wales and beyond - of a curatorial
capability only very rarely equalled across Europe. Project funding would
quickly sever the lines of communication, collaboration and knowledge
exchange that are the very source of projects worth funding. ACW propose an
idiot-machine, a cycle of self-destruction. CPR's long, distinguished and
properly celebrated history of nourishing performance cultures is not
something to be consigned to an honourable history - it is a vital living
organism that has essential work to do now.

Sadly, the lack both of decent timing and of a properly argued rationale for
the cut again echo the recent process conducted by ACE. Something is driving
this from above, and that something clearly has no good understanding of
cultural value or even quite clearly 'cultural industries'.

At the very least, the message needs to go back up the bureaucratic line
that robbing CPR of an essential lifeline will be an act of cultural
vandalism that will have serious consequences for decades to come.
Please accept my every good wish for the success of your appeal.

Mick Wallis

Professor of Performance and Culture
School of Performance and Cultural Industries
University of Leeds