Appeal to Save Queer Up North from Arts Council Cuts
Urgent press release from PANDA partner organisation, Queer Up North.
Arts Council England has announced plans to end its annual funding of queerupnorth in March 2008. This will lead to the cancellation of the 2008 festival in Manchester, halt all future touring plans, end their unique programme of work for young people, and result in the immediate closure of the organisation.
Further information on their decision can be found on the website.
queerupnorth are launching an appeal to encourage Arts Council England to reconsider their decision, and continue supporting queerupnorth. If you have enjoyed or benefited from queerupnorth in any way during the last 15 years - as artists, as audiences, as participants – you are urged to show your support by doing a number of things:
Please add your name and comments to the petition.
Please lend your support to their letter writing campaign – more information on which can be found here.
The appeal against the funding cut will be submitted to Arts Council England on January 15th, with the appeal considered on January 25th 2008. It's essential that we act now if we're to succeed in saving queerupnorth.
If you'd like any more information about queerupnorth, please contact Artistic Director Jonathan Best (jonathan@queerupnorth.com)or General Manager Adam Pushkin (adam@queerupnorth.com), or call the office on 0161 234 2942.