A scandal of epic proportions rocked the local arts scene yesterday when it emerged that for the past three months, four members of a local arts committee have been the subject of a secretly-filmed television investigation into the organisations’ alleged links with the occult.

Shortly after the council-backed group ‘Torbay Artsbase’ announced their shortlist of finalists for this years’ Artsbase Awards (slated to take place next Friday at Oldway mansion), a source close to the filmmaker approached the news desk with a leaked rough edit of the documentary which carries the working title: “Terror by Committee”. Clips of the leaked footage have also appeared on YouTube, courtesy of some local militant artists, although they were removed early this morning. We can confirm that a copy of the film was requested by the Police and that two arrests have since been made, although any further such details are sparse and Police have yet to confirm whether they intend to bring any charges ‘at this stage’.

The Daily Cherish can exclusively reveal some of the allegations leveled by the shock-doc, which is due to air near Christmas on Channel 4. Whilst we will adhere to an embargo imposed upon us by the production company to keep some details under wraps until the film is finished, we can today exclusively reveal that the undercover filming paints a dark picture of shady meetings in town hall corridors, terrifying revelations and outright whacked-out conspiracy. The 45-minute ‘rough cut’ was shot by the filmmaker himself, posing as an out-of-town drifter poet called Hurrrham Wight-Wite. Whilst some of the accusations defy conventional belief, the most shocking scenes are the ones where criminal and often bizarre behaviours are caught exposed on tape. Scenes which could prove disastrous for Artsbase include:-

• A 22-year-old violinist subjected to inhumane treatment for the entertainment of the laughing committee. During this sequence, the young woman is forced to dress in a bear costume (which is filled with broken glass) whilst being pelted with cricket bats by two ringleaders. Later, she is asked to bleed into a golden cup and her blood is apparently offered around to the committee members who then drink of it.

• Two Artsbase members dressed in hooded cloaks standing in front of what appears to be a makeshift alter holding small reptiles. This segment is perhaps the most fanciful as it is tightly edited alongside an interview with French conspiracy theorist Seamus O’Connor. He alleges that Artsbase is one of many front companies for a breed of “super-marsupials” called “Zardites” who have “well-structured family business dynasties that go all the way back to the pre-industrial age” and have well-placed “agents” in many positions of power. O’Connor has written three books on the subject of these shape-shifting superbeings and goes on record to say that Artsbase is “most definitely” what he likes to call a “Zardittyian Micro Company”. Zardittyus being the name of the “dimensional realm” that Zardites “crossed over” from in order to interbreed as humans. His evidence rests on the “fact” that Zardites are apparently fascinated with reptiles. And that they “like hanging out with arty people”.

• A Christmas party which seems to involve voluntary bloodletting and drinking, and a scene in which a strange initiation takes place backstage after an Artsbase award ceremony at Oldway Mansion in Paignton. The initiation concerns a 74-year-old poet called Herman Rossiters who is given a strong dosage of hallucinogen (derived from a notoriously dangerous plant which blooms in Oldway Gardens for only two days every year) and then encouraged to debase himself in the most primal ways possible. His seeming indoctrination into the Artsbase clique has him doing everything from naked waltzing to manic hair-eating (taking in some feral public masturbation along the way for good measure) and will surely displease the likes of Age Concern.

At the time of printing, the ceremony looks to be going ahead. Artsbase chiefs were unable to answer our queries today but have said to expect a statement sometime after the awards bash this weekend.