Elation was quickly followed by disappointment last Thursday as the good news that Watford Palace Theatre has had its Arts Council England (ACE) funding increased was tempered by the sad knowledge that Trestle Theatre Company will no longer receive an ACE grant.

Without ACE funding, the company, which specialises in mask and physical theatre, will have to suspend its touring programme and will no longer be able to continue its extensive support for young and emerging artists, or collaborate with its many partners.

Artistic director Emily Gray says the organisation will continue to function in the absence of National Portfolio Funding, but it will be hard for its creative development to flourish.

Two other local companies have also been hit. Theatre Is, which provides drama for young people by young people and recently moved from the University of Hertfordshire to Luton has lost its ACE funding as has DanceDigital (Humanimalia) based in Hertfordshire and Essex. (See DanceDigital's statement below for more information).

Watford Palace Theatre is now the only venue in Hertfordshire to receive support from ACE.

“There’s this expectation that people in Hertfordshire will go into London and it’s really sad,” says Emily.

“Over the last four years Arts Council England has invested significantly in Trestle to enable the company to explore and develop an exciting new style of physical storytelling. Trestle’s current production, The Birthday of the Infanta, is receiving rave reviews. It is ironic that, at the moment that this new style comes to fruition, ACE is wasting that investment and denying audiences and venues around the country the opportunity to be engaged by the exciting and high quality theatre that Trestle offers.”

Having been encouraged to develop a mixed economy, Trestle accepted this challenge and has succeeded in reducing its dependence on ACE funding to 25 per cent of its income.

Trestle runs an arts building and a nationwide participatory programme, and its mask sets are in demand across the world, all of this without ACE support.

Anyone visiting Trestle will see the building is used by many different groups who provide a range of services to the local community and several arts projects have also been created in conjunction with local people.

“We have tried so hard to keep community rates down but business hires have taken a hit since the recession and the building is under threat,” says Emily.

“Under the remit of the Government’s ‘agenda for happiness’, Trestle plays a vital part of creating important moments for people, be it drama classes for adults, ballet for the little ones or kids doing street dance, not to mention the parents and under-fives creating and listening to stories together in our Story Tent. I hope we can continue to provide those moments. It’s worrying and more than ever we have to say to people locally we need your support. If you value this place, please, please now is the time to help.”

Trestle Arts Base is hosting a fundraising event in conjunction with MProductions. Heart and Music is an evening of entertainment featuring a lively mix of show tunes including My Fair Lady and Into the Woods, A New Brain, Shrek and some Glee favourites. The night also features a live band, Almost Unheard and students from the Central School of Speech and Drama and Manchester School of Theatre, alongside a host of local talent.

Details: 01727 850950, www.mproductions.org.uk

Statement from DanceDigital

The DanceDigital team is disappointed not to have been successful in their bid to become a National Portfolio Organisation supported through Arts Council England. The loss of revenue funding threatens the organisation’s future ability to serve and develop its constituent communities of artists, audiences and participants. Over the past 15 years, DanceDigital has been instrumental in the development of the dance and technology sector conducting pioneering work with motion capture technology. More recently, the organisation has supported the development of mobile phone applications for performance and online performance projects.

Of the decision, Tamara Ashley, director says: "We are hugely disappointed by the Arts Council's decision, but while the loss of funding will greatly affect our road map into the future, we are now beginning to look at the options that could be open to us in the current economic climate. I will be working with the DanceDigital team, our trustees and partners, to explore different ways of supporting the innovative work of artists and of enriching our community through our existing dance-based programmes."

If you are interested in supporting the organisation, please contact tamara.ashley@dancedigital.org.uk