Dame Judi attacks Olympic funding

Dame Judi Dench attacks funding diverted to London 2012 Olympics from the arts
12 April 2012

Actress Dame Judi Dench has hit out at the Government for "siphoning off" money from the arts to help pay for the 2012 Olympics.

The film and theatre veteran said she was "mourning" the loss of a string of repertory companies and called for arts funding to be ring-fenced.

Dame Judi, whose latest film Nine opens later this month, told The Times: "I am concerned that they've taken a lot of the subsidy to the arts away for the Olympics. It's been siphoned off.

"When you go abroad people always talk with such love about British theatre, but the irony is it's not appreciated by the Government as it should be."

Asked if funding should be set and ring-fenced, she replied: "Yes it should. I mourn that there are so many repertory companies that aren't around any more."

The 75 year old is due to tread the boards at Kingston in Surrey's struggling Rose Theatre early next year, and said she was "doing her bit to keep it open".

She added: "The state of the arts has always been, and will always be, precarious.

"But there is something so alarming about the huge cuts made to companies, particularly when you read of the astronomical amounts some people are earning."

The London 2012 Olympics is budgeted to cost around £9.3 billion.

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