• As a reaction against continuing arts cuts, former chairman of Channel 4 television Luke Johnson along with Edward Snape and Raymond Gubbay have got inventive and formed Fiery Dragons, a new and privately funded theatre company. Its model lends itself to shareholders putting their money into a range of shows and "seeks to minimise [the] long-term risk" of investing in one individual show. Their website explains that this comes out of "an increasing necessity" to continue the work and influence of theatre. Their first production is Graham Linehan's much anticipated adaptation of the comedy The Ladykillers.
• It's good news for Peterborough as Arts Council England has awarded the city £110,000 for two projects which have been recognised for their cultural influence on the city. Vivacity, the new Cultural Trust for the city, has been awarded £50,000 in order to improve and widen the prospects of Peterborough Festival. Eastern Angles Theatre Company will also receive £60,000 in order to develop a play which encapsulates the story of those who were involved in the expansion of Peterborough from 1968 onwards. It will include a cast and crew from around the area.
• Shout, Birmingham's only festival of queer culture has been granted £46,575 by Arts Council England. The Festival Chair, Simon Wales, told PinkPaper.com: "We are delighted that Arts Council England have supported the development of Shout, we believe it is important that Birmingham has a festival of this type, and we are grateful to our arts partners for their continued involvement." The festival includes film, performing arts and community based initiatives and will take place this year between the 3 and 27 November.
• Meanwhile, the campaign to save Croydon's David Lean cinema has gained a rather notable supporter in Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes. He has joined Ronnie Corbett in speaking out against the cinema's removal from the Croydon Clocktower arts venue in April as part of an arts cuts initiative and the prospect of it being permanently shut down, stating in the Croydon Guardian that it would be a "meaningless" closure.
• The fate of South Chingford and Leytonstone Harrow Green libraries hangs in the balance as controversial proposals came last week which unveiled plans to shut them down. This is in conjunction with attempts to reduce the opening hours of four other libraries in the area due to an aim of saving £1m. A cabinet meeting is due to be held on 14 June which will decide whether these proposals will reach a public consultation later on in the year.
• However, the uncertain fate of libraries such as these has caught the attention of the Women's Institute at their AGM on Wednesday. It was decided, with a 98% majority, that the WI would back the librarian body CILIP and campaign in their support. WI chair Ruth Bond stated that the members have "pledged their commitment to fight to prevent local library closures wherever they are proposed".
