Chairman Liz Grant and founder Steve Waters launch their new group in April 2010
A group set up to promote the arts in Basildon could be wound up just six months in after both it’s founder and elected chairman resigned in a bitter war of words.
Basildon Arts Collective held crisis talks at a meeting last week in an attempt to end a vicious spat between chairman, Liz Grant, and founding member Steve Waters, best known for his internet hit puppet ‘Old Man Stan’.
The planned meeting ended in chaos as members called for the two to end their war of words but this weekend both members decided to resign – each blaming the other for their decision.
The move leaves the BAC in turmoil with a final meeting planned for 9 August with Mrs Grant playing the part of retiring chair leaving members to decide the future of the group.
On Monday Mrs Grant told members: “I am leaving here too - this place should not exist because it represents the worst side of our arts community now in a very public way.
“I don't want to be here because as far as I am concerned this is a poisoned well and not fit to drink from.”
The statement followed a similar message from Mr Waters who had run the BAC’s official website but resigned over the weekend.
“This was a brilliant chance to change the stuck record for Basildon’s artistic and creative community,” Mr Waters told members on a message on the website.
”Then slowly but surely the same old people - committee people most of them - the same people that have been on every failed art group committee in the history of Basildon. Yes, they all predictably started dropping into place.
“As one well respected local artist was heard to say, at the very beginning, ‘these things always end up being run from the top down and either fall apart or implode.’
“At the time I thought they were just being cynical, now I see these words were pretty much prophetical.”
The Basildon Arts Collective was originally formed in March of this year as part of a protest group to help protect ‘The Woodsman Poacher’ wooden statue in the town.
In a parting move Mr Waters has asked supporters to keep their eyes open for a new arts group he is set to form in the near future.