Nicholas Hytner makes impassioned plea against arts cuts

 
Dave Benett
Amira Hashish27 November 2012

Nicholas Hytner, the director of the National Theatre, thanked the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for providing a platform for him to speak out against funding cuts to the arts.

Following a double win as best Director for Timon of Athens and as the recipient of the Lebedev Special Award for his dynamic directorship of the South Bank powerhouse, he said: “There are 14 million people coming into London to buy theatre tickets every year. It is completely crazy to think we might do anything to undermine this. 

“Culture Secretary Maria Miller also says she expects philanthropy to double in the coming year. She hasn’t said how.

"We have raised £14 million over the last couple of years towards our redevelopment but that is because we are properly funded in the first place. Private money follows public money and public money also enables us to take the kind of risks to deliver big commercial hits like War Horse. 

“A lot of money coming into the economy means more money coming into the exchequer. So here is a suggestion - to double philanthropy you can start by funding every theatre to the level where it can begin to attract the sort of bridled giving that we enjoy at the National.”

Judi Dench and Danny Boyle also backed Hytner during their acceptance speeches.

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