Overview

• The town council voted to withdraw £6,000 of support for the next two years from the Sandbach Day of Dance after concerns about face paint used at the June event.
• Cllr Sandrene Wright argued grey makeup used by one troupe was effectively blackface and not compliant with council diversity policies.
• Mayor John Arnold apologized to those who were offended and said the council will tighten policies to ensure supported events are inclusive.
• The event’s organisers said most teams did not use face paint and that three used red, green or grey, adding they had seen no negative comments on their public Facebook page.
• The organising committee accused some councillors of relying on archive footage and failing to declare links to activist groups, while residents voiced anger and warned the festival’s future is at risk.