For more than half a century, since it was set up in 1956 by Harold Hobson, The Sunday Times drama critic, the National Student Drama Festival has celebrated and nurtured young talent. The festival, which moved to Scarborough in 1990, takes place every year over Easter, when nearly a thousand students and theatre professionals come together to perform, debate and learn from each other. At its heart are shows featuring the best work from students over the past year. A team of judges travels the country looking at entries and out of more than 100 about a dozen are invited to perform.

The Sunday Times has been pleased to sponsor the festival, regarding it as a means of nurturing young talent. Appearing in Scarborough is an achievement in itself, but it is also an opportunity to have their work and to take part in the programme of workshops, master classes and discussions, all reported in the festival’s daily paper where young drama critics get a chance to hone their skills. Among the now familiar names who have used the event as a stepping stone to success are Timothy West, a prize-winner in the first festival, Michael York, Tim Pigott-Smith, Simon Russell Beale, Polly Teale, Mark Ravenhill, Richard Eyre, Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig and Meera Syal.

Now, at a time when the government says it wants to interest young people in the arts, the Arts Council has done something extraordinary. Without warning it has cut off its funding for the festival. The Sunday Times will continue to support it, as will the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, but without Arts Council support there is a real danger that next Easter’s festival will be the last. This decision is from a government that has been profligate in its waste of taxpayers’ money and is shovelling billions into the 2012 Olympics. The festival will appeal against the decision next month. If, like us, you think the Arts Council must reverse this shortsighted move, please sign the petition on the festival’s website: www.nsdfpetition.org.uk