New celebrity patron for Eastern Angles!

Eastern Angles have announced the name of their new patron, the cult comedy songwriter Neil Innes.

Last week, the theatre company were one of thirty arts organisations in the Eastern region to win much sought after Arts Council funding. Eastern Angles will receive £230,000 a year for the next three years.

Whilst Eastern Angles are delighted to be part of the Arts Council's new National Portfolio of arts organisations, the company still need to raise money through donations and sponsorship in order to continue their rural touring theatre work.

This is where the support of a celebrity patron will come in.

Eastern Angles' Artistic Director, Ivan Cutting said: "In real terms our settlement represents a cut in funding of 9%. This means raising money through patron donation schemes, corporate sponsorship and philanthropy will be more important than ever."

"That's why we are really pleased that Neil has agreed to become our patron. Neil has lived in rural Suffolk for a long time and is a big fan of our work. He understands the importance of taking live theatre to audiences in more isolated areas of East Anglia and really wants to help support this community theatre work. Neil will be a big boost to our new fundraising appeal - The Copperfield Programme. He has agreed to front the campaign which is designed to encourage philanthropy, sponsorship and individual donations."

Neil Innes said:

"As a newly appointed "Patron" I am thrilled and delighted by the Arts Council decision. I shall be doing all I can to raise awareness of the splendid work that Eastern Angles do in villages and theatres around the region. Not even 4D television can compete with the thrill of living and breathing "Live Performance".

Ends

Notes to Editors:

Eastern Angles are best known for their rural touring theatre work. Over the past twenty-nine years the company have built up a national reputation for performing East Anglian-inspired plays to audiences in towns and villages across the Eastern region. More recently, the company have won praise for their Peterborough-based community theatre work. As part of their annual Platform Peterborough project, the company have created a series of new plays all set in the city. The project also includes educational theatre workshops which take place in primary & secondary schools in Peterborough.

Neil Innes is a Suffolk-based writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles. He also performs with The Idiot Bastard Band with Phil Jupitus, Adrian Edmundson, Roland Rivron and Simon Brint.

For further information and images, please contact: Karen Goddard, Marketing Officer, Eastern Angles Theatre Company Tel: 01473 218202  Email: karen@easternangles.co.uk