Lost audience

3:25pm Thu Jan 26, 2012

So the 150 people who attend the Sunday jazz concerts won’t be going regularly to the Palace Theatre, Newark, any more (Dixielanders Bow Out of Palace Theatre Shows, Advertiser, January 12).

That’s a lot of people who won’t be picking up leaflets about future shows.

And we all thought the proposed cuts to the Palace were yet to be voted on by Newark and Sherwood District Council.

It appears the decision to close on Sundays has been made already.

Well, it’s only going to cost £5,000 a week now, instead of £7,000, although no one from Kelham Hall has yet explained these figures.

Nor have any suggestions about increasing audience numbers been disclosed in spite of the many ideas submitted by members of the community.

Raising prices isn’t going to save the theatre but more people through the doors might.

Incidentally, I wrote to 14 local councillors about this and had replies from only two.

Those of us who really care about the theatre as a community facility have been ignored as usual.

We all thought the consultation process was a genuine attempt by the council to change the ethos of the management strategies that have failed, but we were wrong.

It’s not surprising in light of the fact that there isn’t a single arts officer left at Kelham Hall.

The district councillors should be ashamed of the fact that they don’t know participation in the arts makes people feel better.

It’s not just about finance. We are governed by Philistines.

— CAROLYN DRURY, chairman, Newark Arts Forum.