News Release

13th February 2005

PARLIAMENTARY VISIT TO LICHFIELD

he Parliamentary Select Committee for the Department of Culture Media and Sport will be visiting Lichfield on Monday 21st February to visit the new Lichfield Garrick Theatre. The Parliamentarians who will be visiting include the Committee's Chairman, The Rt Hon Sir Gerald Kaufman MP, Frank Doran MP, Alan Keen MP, Chris Bryant MP, Rosemary McKenna MP and Michael Fabricant MP who, as well as being the MP for Lichfield and Burntwood, is also the senior Conservative MP on the Committee.

Michael Fabricant says: "As soon as the Committee decided it would conduct an inquiry into 'Arts Development in the Theatre', I was determined that the Committee should visit Lichfield. I am delighted that I was able to persuade them to do so. The Lichfield Garrick is one of the most innovative medium sized provincial theatres in the country, thanks to the vision and encouragement of local councillors and the artistic direction from Paul Everitt. Yet the Theatre receives little funding from the Arts Council. I am concerned that the Arts Council finds little room for new kids on the block and reserves the bulk of its resources for more long-established theatres. That policy squeezes out new entrants like the Garrick. I will be questioning the Arts Council about this.

"Next Monday, fellow Committee Members will be questioning Paul Everitt, Artistic Director, closely about the Lichfield Garrick's policy for performances and his plans to engage those who are not regular theatre-goers. They will also want to hear from Councillor David Smith, Leader of Lichfield District Council, whose vision it was to create the Theatre against stiff opposition from some quarters. The Committee will want David to outline the genesis of the Theatre and his long term vision for its development."