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BCA: The Dream is Over - Brazilian Contemporary Arts closes its doors

Brazilian Contemporary Arts (BCA) has shut down after 27 years of promoting contemporary Brasilian art in London. An e-mail entitled "The Dream is Over" was sent by BCA to students and visitors explaining the interruption of the organization's cultural and eductaional activities. Anyone who's follwed the institution's activities over the years will agree that BCA revealed the diversity of Brasil to the British public, showing that there's more to the country than just samba.

184 other institutions are facing the same situation. The Arts Council, a governmental organization set up to finance cultural organizations in the UK, has cut all their funding and shaken up the British arts world. Without the £80 thousand pounds recieved on an anual basis from the Arts Council, BCA has ground to a halt. Their income doesn't exceed £100 thousand per year. Central London Arts Ltd (The Drill Hall) has also been affected by the same decision, and will no longer recieve the generous sum of £250 thousand per year. The organization has started up a campaign to try and collect donations.

In BCA's case, one of the reasons given by the Arts Council was a lack of equipment that would enable wheelchair users to access all the activities and events on offer. "This isn't true", contests BCA's chief-executive, Edna Crepaldi. "All of our events take place in venues with access for people with disabilities, like the Royal Albert Hall and the London Paldium. One of our directors is disabled and uses our facilities on a daily basis.

An electric stairchair was installed two years ago when the organization moved to Chiswick. Despite recognising the adaptations made by BCA, the Arts Council have stood by their decision.

Edna explains that BCA were told that their funds would be cut in December last year, and that their last batch of funding would arrive in March. The Arts Council have emphasized that - despite only giving a three month warning - all of the 185 organizations in question were made aware of the situation in October. "We were told that our funding might be reduced, but not that it would be cut entirely from one day to the next", protests BCA's chief-executive. Twenty-seven organizations have had their funding reduced whilst another 65 are now benefiting from Arts Council grants.

Another reason given by the agency for BCA's loss of funding was that an insufficient number of events were being organized to justify the money they were receiving. Graca Fish, who worked as a volunteer at the cultural centre for four years, says that the Art's Council's argument is flawed. "The reduction in the events we were organizing was the result of competition from other Brasilian institutions".

Edna reveals that the solicitors she has consulted also agree that the Arts Council have acted incorrectly. "They said that the motives alleged by the Arts Council aren't justified and that the decision should have been made public at a much earlier date".

The Arts Council's "disinvestment policy" states that institutions should be given at least six months notice of any cuts to their funding. The Arts Council's press officer pointed out that the document doesn't necessarily have to be followed down to the last letter.

BCA have asked the Arts Council to reevaluate the case or at least offer financial aid to help the organization restructure its activities, but the Arts Council recently reiterated its decision. In certain cases, the Arts Council can offer emergency financial support, but BCA haven't received any sign that this is going to take place. BCA's board of directors has been trying to find alternative ways to continue the organization's work.

BCA have received more than a hundred messages of support, mainly from British nationals, since they sent out their e-mail. "I'm very sad that the Arts Council has used dubious arguments to disassociate itself from an organization that has been promoting Brasilian culture in London over the past 27 years", laments Edna.