Issue 317 – 7,000 signatures in petition for Somerset Arts

WITH almost 7,000 signatures at the end of 2010, the ‘Save Somerset Arts’ petition can now trigger a full debate on Somerset County Council’s decision to cut their arts development fund by 100%.

The petition was set up in response to last year’s decision, and will be presented to the full meeting of Somerset County Council on 16th February.
Thousands of signatures have been obtained thanks to the combined strength of an online petition and a flood of paper signatures, generated from arts audiences and supporters throughout Somerset. Organisations such as the Merlin Theatre and Black Swan Arts have been among those with a paper copy for art enthusiasts in Frome to sign.
Take Art, an arts charity that serves the towns, villages, and rural communities of Somerset said, “The success of this petition only goes to prove the incredible support there is for the arts within Somerset.
“We would like to thank everyone who has and continues to support the campaign. Please keep signing the petition and sending us your quotes; we won’t stop collecting signatures until as late as possible.
“Over the next two months we will be working hard to garner even more support for the petition, while seeking new ways to preserve and protect the arts in Somerset.”