Many people in and around Maidenhead were dismayed at the decision of the Arts Council to discontinue their annual grant support to Norden Farm from April 2012. The decision was part of a major review of their National Portfolio. Many other organisations suffered a similar fate, but that does not make it easier to accept or understand. Especially since the Arts Council Assessment of Norden Farm’s application was so positive, included no criticism and identified no shortcomings.

Norden Farm’s Board and Management have been absorbing the implications of the grant loss. Like most arts venues, we are deficit funded and the numbers are challenging. It costs £500,000 to run Norden Farm each year. Nearly half of that was met by grants. £143,000 from the Arts Council and £100,000 from the Royal Borough. Now the £143,000 will go.

What to do? There is a clear determination in the Board and Management that Norden Farm must survive and continue to provide the local community with a high quality venue for local arts groups, with professional visiting artists, with artistic support in local schools and to young people.

In the ten years since Norden Farm opened, the range and quality of activities has developed strongly, so that attendances have increased (over 62,000 people attended in 2010/11); the reputation with artists is strong – they enjoy coming here; and the extended work outside the artistic mainstream is growing.

We must look at costs. But the Farm is very tightly run in cost terms. It is open fourteen hours a day, six days a week. There are nine full-time staff, several part-time staff (eg duty managers, administrative support) and eighty volunteers. If there was one hint of reservation in the Arts Council assessment, it was about limited management/staffing resources – quote “Governance and finance are sound. Management capacity is stretched but they deliver with professionalism.”

We must increase our income, both from existing activities and new opportunities. We must increase support from the local community: by raising attendance; encouraging greater involvement of local artists; inviting corporate support in exchange for quality benefits; and offering new can’t-resist experiences.

There is a deadline. We need to have a remodelled budget by the end of October – in five months from now. We have lots of ideas, but we need help. We need help from the people and organisations in our local community. Let us know how you are willing to help: become an Associate Member from £30 a year; make a regular monthly donation; sponsor a seat or become a Patron; get your business to sponsor an event or season; and share our fantastic venue by bringing new people to the Farm.

This is a must win challenge. Norden Farm is an asset the community cannot afford to lose.

Geoffrey Blacker, For the Board of Trustees (June 2011) and Jane Corry, Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Click here to read the Arts Council Assessment