The Eagle, one of London's best known and well loved LGBTQ venues that has been a part of the community for 17 years has received no grant from the Arts Council's Culture Recovery Fund. One of the reasons for this is they 'considered whether your organisation is culturally significant and/or contributing to providing cultural opportunity in England'. This seems a little unfair given they are surviving nearly entirely on being an outdoor theatre, one of the very few spaces in London supporting those working in live performance. They are also one of a handful of venues to have all their promotional material included in the Bishopgate Institute's LGBTQ+ archive for future generations to see what queer London in the early 21st Century was like.

This issue is one of fairness. The decision to award some LGBTQ venues substantial sums of money and leave The Eagle with nothing just isn't right. 

The decision making has been opaque and rather arbitrary. The venue has hosted countless DJs, performers, promoters and charities over the years. We are asking that the Arts Council reconsiders its decision not to award The Eagle any grant as it has other similar venues. Please sign this petition that I will forward to Jane Dawson of the Arts Council.