A PERFORMING arts college is calling for support from the community as it faces a funding crisis.
READ College posted to social media on Monday, November 28, announcing that it was “in jeopardy” as it faces financial difficulty.
In the post, the college said that the “relentless cost of living crisis, our continuous recovery from COVID-19, and the loss of our ability to host international students” meant that its future was now “uncertain.”
“If we can’t raise sufficient funds by December 12, we will be left with no choice but to close our doors at the end of this term.”
The college has been providing equal access to arts training to young people for 14 years, and is now appealing for donations and support to continue its work.
It launched a fundraising page on Paypal, raising £10,000 of its £40,000 target within the first 24 hours of the appeal.
In a statement released on Wednesday, November 30, the college said that it had secured the support of Craig Revel Horwood, Cynthia Erivo, Susan Stroman, Gill Green, and Sophia Nomvete.
The announcement follows the stepping down of the college’s co-founder, Jamie Read, as the artistic director of the college back in September.
Mr Read had been in the role since the college’s inception but moved on to the board of trustees.
He was succeeded by Clara Vaughan, who came to the position from her previous post as head of the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She joins principal Helen Read in the leadership team at the college.
Ms Vaughan said: “It was a surprise for everybody, the severity of the problem.
“There was an awareness that there would be some unexpected costs in the next financial year, but I think the way that it affected this year was a surprise.
“It’s the effect of increased costs of running any kind of programme generally, and it really came to light in late October.
“The severity of the problem seemed to snowball from there.”
She said that the college’s focus is on its pupils.
“The first thing we said was ‘how do we keep our responsibilities to our students,’ so that they aren’t dropped at this moment.
“It’s an important lesson for the college, and we’re running this campaign now so that we can fulfil that obligation.”
Ms Vaughan also said that the ongoing financial stability of the college must be considered.
“We need to focus our attention on the stability of the college, so that people have confidence in its sustainability.
“We’ve been working hard to analyse where we are and how we can respond to things that aren’t in our control,
“But we’re also rectifying poor financial management, looking at new models of our operation, which should mean us going into a new phase.”
She said that the college was looking to “make sure we are making the best possible use of the resources available to us: the beautiful space we rent, our teachers, our support networks.
“We need to use those assets in our programme in a way that means we are way less at risk, and we’re looking at partnerships so that we have multiple points of support.”
Ms Vaughan said that the college’s work would be a sore loss for those it supports: “It really is a very, very special place.
“It’s held in such a special regard by the people who work and study here; the students who attend and who have attended in the past are a community,
“And one that reflects the value it has and the role that it has not only in the arts community, but in the wider community too.
“Spaces like this champion inclusivity in a highly exclusive industry, and the response to our fundraising campaign has confirmed that it is widely recognised.”
The online donation campaign can be found via: www.paypal.com
