In the wake of announcements on cuts from Arts Council England (ACE), the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) and Scottish Arts Council (SAC – now Creative Scotland), it is not surprising that unlucky organisations are fighting back. For some, attack is the best form of defence. For others, a courteous email has sufficed. A number of organisations that lost out in ACW’s investment review have opted for the latter tactic, asking the public to take issue with the funding body if they disagree with the decisions made. It is a fair and measured response – one that is perhaps testament to the intelligent and transparent way in which ACW handled its review process, rather than an indication of the strength of feeling in the Welsh arts sector. In contrast, Byre Theatre in Scotland is so incensed over SAC’s “contradictory and shortsighted” decision to cut its funding that it is issuing a legal challenge. Byre might have looked south to the fight that Dedalus, a small publisher in Sawtry, has been conducting with ACE – a fight that Dedalus has now won. After having its funding axed in 2008, the organisation’s managing director enlisted the support of big guns, including Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst and Nobel laureate JM Coetzee. ACE has now reinstated its funding. It would be naïve to pin our collective hopes on one success story (particularly one that involves the comparatively small sum of £26k), but at least these stories show that arts organisations are taking action. Some battles have been won, but rally the troops – the war is far from over.