Homes and Property | Home PageWriters pen protest letter against Bush Theatre cutsHarold Pinter: Protesting at the proposed cutsLouise Jury|Chief Arts Correspondent12 April 2012Leading writers including virtually every major playwright working in Britain have signed an open letter to oppose a grant cut to the Bush Theatre.Arts Council England is proposing to reduce funding for the tiny west London venue by £180,000.Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, David Hare, Neil LaBute, Christopher Hampton and Michael Frayn are joined by Salman Rushdie and others in calling on the council to think again.The letter says: "Playwriting has always been at the heart of Britain's theatrical life. Our playwrights are the envy of the world because there have been and are theatres able to devote resources to the development and presentation of their work."The Bush Theatre is unique as a theatre prepared to produce first plays, take risks on new playwrights and thus launch careers."If the cut is implemented, it would " seriously diminish" the Bush's capacity to do its work and serve audiences, it says.ACE has reviewed all the bodies it funds and is recommending that a fifth - including 53 in London - are axed or have their grants reduced.There is a deadline of tomorrow for objections to be lodged. The Bush, which last year produced the hits Elling and Whipping It Up, is facing having its funding reduced from £480,000 a year to £300,000. ACE believes that its current grant does not represent good value for money because the Bush has only 81 seats.But the theatre argues that the value of its grant lies in nurturing new writers. Stephen Poliakoff and Conor McPherson, who had early work first presented at the theatre, are among more than 100 leading writers who have signed the open letter.Other signatories include Peter Ackroyd, Margaret Atwood, Howard Brenton, Caryl Churchill, Hanif Kureishi, Alan Plater and Arnold Wesker as well as dozens of younger writers such as Samuel Adamson, Joe Penhall and Roy Williams.A separate letter has been signed by more than 60 emerging playwrights who have been helped by the theatre. Literary agents, actors and directors are also gathering names to present.Josie Rourke, the Bush's artistic director, said they hoped the support would help persuade the Arts Council of the theatre industry's belief in its work and the impact of a cut. "Our phones have been ringing and ringing and this is a way of giving people who call something practical to do."THE FULL LIST OF SIGNATORIESPeter AckroydSamuel AdamsonKay AdsheadPaul AllenMargaret AtwoodMike BartlettRichard BeanAlistair BeatonSimon BentHelen BlakemanAlecky BlytheAdam BockWilliam BoydHoward BrentonLesley BruceMoira BuffiniAmelia BullmoreGregory BurkeSimon BurtRichard CameronDaragh CarvilleCaryl ChurchillLin CoghlanTim CrouchAndrew DaviesMark Davies MarkhamApril de AngelisNick DearAnne DevlinClint DyerDavid EdgarDavid EldridgeLisa EvansDavid FarrStella FeehilyGeorgia FitchRon FitzgeraldMichael FraynEmma FrostLucy GannonFraser GracePeter GillMaurice GranDavid GreigTanika GuptaChristopher Hampton CBESir David HareZinnie HarrisRobert HolmanDebbie IsittCatherine JohnsonTerry JohnsonCharlotte JonesDennis KellyHanif Kureishi CBENeil LaButeJoanna LaurensBryony LaveryMike Leigh OBENell LeyshonKevin LoaderStephen LoweSharman MacDonaldConor MacPhersonTony MarchantLaurence MarksLinda Marshall-GriffthsChloe MossDavid NichollsMeredith OakesMark O'RoweJoe PenhallHarold Pinter CH, CBE, Nobel Laureate Alan Plater CBEStephen Poliakoff CBEBernard PomeranceNina RaineAdam RappPhilip RidleyBilly RocheDavid RudkinOwen SheersMartin ShermanSir Salman Rushdie Nick StaffordPolly StenhamSimon StephensSir Tom Stoppard OM, CBEColin TeevanStephen ThompsonJack ThorneLaura WadeEnda WalshSteve WatersAnthony WeighSir Arnold WeskerMichael WilcoxRoy WilliamsSnoo WilsonDavid WolstencroftSarah WoodsNicholas WrightRichard ZajdlicMORE ABOUTArts Council Of EnglandChristopher HamptonDepartment For Culture, Media And SportHarold PinterNeil LaButeSalman RushdieTom Stoppard
