The Arts Council generally do a fine job these days. I’ll accept that in years gone by it was a bit of a loose cannon at times, but on this occasion I genuinely think this is a non-story.
As previous posters have said, the truth is that this cost the Arts Council £13k. There was no loss.
I appreciate some people’s view that it could or should have been held in the Villa, but then I don’t think it would have worked as well.
The whole point of the Arts Council is to promote and support the arts and make them accessible as possible to as many people as possible over each year. They are NOT a profit centre for Government or a commercial enterprise.
The Arts Council would have known in advance that they wouldn’t break even, but the whole point is they don’t need to all the time.
Put it this way, without the Arts Council this evening wouldn’t have happened at all, and then we’d all be moaning that there was nothing on.
Finally, maybe the answer would be for the Arts Council to give a Bursary to train some decent journalists on this island. News is not all about creating click bait headlines.