THE future survival of the Swan Theatre is not in the hands of the city council but in the hands of the theatre itself, a city councillor has said.

"They are the ones who can save themselves if they want to," said Councillor Simon Geraghty.

Referring to a report commissioned by the Swan Theatre itself, Coun Geraghty pointed out the theatre requesting a continuation of the city council's one-off additional grant was only one of the options for survival.

Coun Geraghty pointed out that Andrew McKinnon, a theatre producer, director and consultant, said in his report one way the theatre could survive was to stop being a producing theatre and become solely a receiving theatre.

"I do not believe there ever will be no Swan Theatre," he said.

"I believe the Swan Theatre will survive but only if it changes the way it operates."

Coun Geraghty also cast doubt over the optimism that West Midlands Arts would step in to the rescue with an additional £50,000 grant alongside the county council.

"I think the county council are relying very heavily and misguidedly on West Midlands Arts," he said.

"In the McKinnon report says 'the relationship between West Midlands Arts and the Worcester Swan Theatre is currently fraught and negative', which is very strong wording for this kind of report."

The report says the Swan Theatre was one of only a small minority of producing theatres not to be recommended for additional funding by its relevant regional arts board.

"This suggests to me that West Midland Arts has doubts over whether the Swan Theatre can operate as a producing theatre.