Rachel Tucker and Adrian Dunbar join protest against Northern Ireland cuts

If implemented, the cuts would reduce current Arts Council spend by £1.3 million and see Northern Ireland’s arts and culture sector, with a historically low spend per head of £5.44, enter its 18th year of successive annual reductions in arts spending.

Tucker, an Equity member since the age of nine, said she was “absolutely furious".  

She said: “In 50 years we’ll look back at the cuts that have happened. The generation below me will not get what I took for granted as a child, being taught by the best in our business for singing, acting and dancing. We cannot let them down, it’s so important.”

In his pre-recorded message, Line of Duty star Dunbar said: “It hardly seems credible that we’re having to fight once again for the civilising influence that the arts have had on Northern Ireland over the last 50 years.”

Game of Thrones actor McElhinney said: “Why is it that every time cuts to central funding are considered it appears to be the arts that take the biggest hit? The arts are vital, but government here in Northern Ireland unfortunately does not seem to understand that. We have to speak out, we must.”

An Equity-organised petition calling for the proposed cuts to be abandoned has reached more than 9,000 signatures.