No Love Lost Over Scottish Ballet’s Budget Cut

THEIR coalition to run the Capital has seen its share of drama – and now Steve Cardownie and Jenny Dawe are starring as Romeo and Juliet in protest leaflets about the decision to axe the annual GBP 40,000 council grant for Scottish Ballet.

A mock-up of the flyer for the new production of the world’s most famous love story – which opens at the Festival Theatre tonight – shows the SNP and Liberal Democrat group leaders under the words: “This pair of star-crossed lovers has cut all their funding for Scottish Ballet.”

Senior Labour politicians will be stationed outside the theatre tonight, handing out the leaflets and asking people to sign a petition against the cuts.

The party’s culture spokesman, Malcolm Chisholm, MSP for Edinburgh North & Leith, is due to join former Lord Provost Lesley Hinds at the protest.

Mr Chisholm said: “This cut shows what the SNP’s fine words about the arts amount to – not only are they cutting support for excellent performance art, they are ensuring that fewer people can enjoy it.”

Cllr Cardownie said the council had shown its support for the arts by increasing funding for the Festival and would continue to fund Scottish Ballet on a project-by-project basis in Edinburgh.

But he claimed the financial “mess” left by Labour was to blame. He said: “I wish their sense of humour was matched by their sense of fiscal responsibility.”

(c) 2008 Evening News; Edinburgh (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.