CHALKFOOT, the Margate-based theatre arts group, has lost its appeal to the Arts Council England South East over its decision to stop its annual funding.

Despite a desperate plea and the warning that it could spell the end of its touring to rural venues around Kent and Sussex, Chalkfoot have been told that the annual grant of £64,334 will not be renewed in April.

Out of 194 organisations nationally to have been threatened with funding cuts, only 17 have been reprieved: none in the south east.

Nationally, organisations which have had their funding restored include the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre, the Bush and Orange Tree theatres in London and the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. Following cuts to the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury and Trinity Arts Centre in Tunbridge Wells, Kent will be left with no regularly funded theatre organisations.

Chalkfoot now has just two months to find alternative financial support if it is to run its annual programme of theatre touring to 50 rural venues in the county.

Following the Arts Council’s annual review, the company made a formal complaint about their lead officer, and received the following response from ACESE’s Executive Director, Felicity Harvest: "From your letter and our internal investigation it appears that there have been occasions over the past four months where your lead officer has not communicated as clearly and promptly as we would have liked."

Chalkfoot’s Artistic Director Philip Dart said: "We received little warning of the Arts Council’s cuts, although ACE’s own guidelines say that companies must be given adequate notice. There were also inaccuracies in our annual report and in ACE’s initial warning letter. Although our appeal attempted to correct this misinformation, we have been deeply concerned to find the same statements repeated in the document informing us that our funding has been cut."

He is not optimistic about the possibility of finding an alternative source of funding to support Chalkfoot’s rural touring work as he believes the number of companies who have lost funding across the country will lead to enormous competition for available funds.

Meanwhile Chalkfoot’s tour of Tom McGrath’s play Laurel and Hardy, which opens on Friday may be the last production by the company to tour rural venues in Kent and Sussex. Details of venues and ticket prices can be obtained from Chalkfoot’s website.

Chalkfoot is a fully professional theatre company based in the south east, which specialises in playing non-theatre venues. Audiences can expect a professionally designed stage setand costumes; full stage lighting and a talented cast of experienced actors. The company is a registered charity which provides a community service for rural communities with little access to the arts. By attending performances in a community venue theatregoers not only promote culture at local level but support fund raising activities within the community.