THE Monmouthshire arts community has been rocked by the news that three leading organisations have lost their funding from The Arts Council of Wales.

Abergavenny's Borough Theatre, Gwent Theatre and Usk based Dance Blast have all lost funding totaling over £300,000 in a major overhaul of the Arts Council investment in the arts.

Over the past year, the council has been working on one of the most detailed funding reviews it has ever undertaken which has resulted in six Gwent art groups and venues having their funding axed with three these based in Monmouthshire.

Monmouthshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture, Councillor Giles Howard said, "This is bitterly disappointing news for people in Monmouthshire and elsewhere in South East Wales.

"The Arts Council supports only three organisations in the county - the Borough Theatre, Dance Blast and Gwent Theatre in Education. So it is particularly sad that they have decided to abandon Monmouthshire by, it seems, withdrawing all funding from next year.

"This decision could affect jobs as well as the local economy. It will especially reduce opportunities for children and young people to enjoy, learn from and participate in cultural activities.

"However, we will be considering carefully the implications of these proposals. We will be working closely with the three bodies affected over the next few months to try to find ways of maintaining these important, popular and well regarded services in Monmouthshire but it will not be easy."

This financial year, the Arts Council gave £255,113 to Gwent Theatre, £25,661 to the Borough Theatre and £30,000 to Dance Blast while Monmouthshire County Council gave £135,230 to the Borough Theatre, £43,390 to Gwent Theatre and £16,000 to Dance Blast.

The review document states that the withdrawal of funding from the Borough Theatre has wider "strategic implications."

It states, "The Borough Theatre is in the midst of moving out of local authority control to independent trust status. This is a move that we'd support and that the local authority is keen to encourage. It's important that the move doesn't 'stall.'"

Manager of the Borough Theatre Nick Banwell said, "Our situation is still unclear, although we have been removed from the revenue funding list we are in talks with the Arts Council about other funding. We remain upbeat and optimistic about our future."

In contrast, Gwent Theatre's Artist Director, Gary Meredith said he is "devastated" at the news

He said, "We really can't understand how they arrived at this decision. It is difficult to understand how the chairman for the Arts Council can say it's something good for Wales - cutting funding is not something good to shout about.

"We find the review incomprehensible. It leaves a huge vacuum in the arts provision from the Rhondda to east Wales."

Gwent Theatre has a board meeting this weekend and a meeting with the Arts Council next week when it hopes to find out why these funding cuts have been made.

Mr Meredith adds, "Without this funding Gwent Theatre will close. It will be a great loss the organisations and schools in the greater Gwent area."

The Arts Council decided to cease its funding of Dance Blast saying that the organisation was "inconsistent in the delivery of its work."

Announcing the outcome of the review, Arts Council of Wales Chair, Dai Smith said, "We're acting today to keep the arts vibrant and strong for tomorrow. We're taking bold decisions to ensure that the best of the arts in Wales thrives in the future. By making clear our priorities, investing funds where they're most needed and deserved, we're setting the foundations for the longer-term success of the arts. We want the arts in Wales to thrive, not just survive.

We'll support work of quality and excellence in order to engage the widest possible audience across Wales, and to signal the vibrancy of contemporary Wales to the world.

"We've looked carefully at what we can support. We started this process a long time ago. It's never been about cuts, it's been about using taxpayer's money well. We're not using the worsening economic climate as a convenient excuse, nor are we deflecting responsibility onto potential government funding cuts that might come at some point in the future. These are our decisions, and we take responsibility for them."

Local AM Nick Ramsay has written to Alun Ffred Jones AM, Heritage Minister at the Welsh Assembly Government to express his serious concerns

Nick said, " was shocked to hear that Gwent Theatre is to lose its Arts Council funding next year. This will be a devastating blow to all those involved with Gwent Theatre, and is likely to have a detrimental effect on schools, pupils and local communities of all social and economic backgrounds.

"I am well aware of the valuable service Gwent Theatre has provided in Monmouthshire for over 30 years. Their work is of the highest standard, and the theatre has always provided excellent curriculum based educational theatre to our schools.

"This news, coupled with the further announcements of cuts in funding to the Borough Theatre in Abergavenny and the Dance Blast community dance organisation will have serious implications for the arts in Monmouthshire."