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Major changes in the arts in Wales are heralded today (Wednesday) as the Arts Council of Wales announces its budget decisions for 2006-07. • The majority of arts clients (65), including six of the largest companies, will receive a 2.72% increase to cover inflation (see Appendix). • Twenty-one Community Arts clients working in some of the most deprived areas of Wales will benefit from Welsh Assembly Government funding that ACW matched with funds from the European Structural Fund.1 • An additional £1m for the Arts outside Cardiff means that 20 venues across Wales will enjoy increased funding,2 including theatres such as the Coliseum in Aberdare, the Parc and Dare in Treorchy, the Muni in Pontypridd, the Beaufort Theatre in Ebbw Vale, the Blackwood Miners’ Institute and the Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. • £10,000 will be awarded to the Tyˆ Newydd writers’ centre in north Wales to enable it to function effectively when it re-opens after a major capital redevelopment. ACW’s Chief Executive, Peter Tyndall, said: “Thanks to our funding settlement from the Welsh Assembly Government we have been able to put in place a positive package of measures for the arts in Wales. We are very pleased to provide our clients with inflationary increases for the year ahead, something we were not able to do in the current year. “Our announcement follows a detailed review of our portfolio of more than 120 client organisations to ensure they can enjoy a viable long-term future. This has been a necessary and positive exercise and has confirmed the overall strength of the client base.” ACW’s plans for the client portfolio include several important structural changes designed to focus resources on output rather than administration. These follow on the successful merger of the three arts marketing agencies in south Wales in April 2005. • The two public art bodies – Cywaith Cymru and CBAT - will merge during 2006-07 to create one strong organisation for public art and its relationship with architecture. The post of chairman for the Board of the new organisation has already been advertised. • A merger between the Sherman Theatre company and Sgript Cymru has been agreed in principle. Final decisions will be taken by the Boards of both companies during March. This will create a powerful new force for theatre in Cardiff and will be a significant start to the process of implementing the conclusions of the review of English language theatre. • Joint working arrangements have also been agreed between three community arts organisations in Powys – Celf o Gwmpas, CARAD and Arts Connection - designed to allow the development of specialist skills that can serve all three organisations, and increase their effectiveness. • A new film agency for Wales – Ffilm Wales – will be established to focus on supporting production, exhibition and education. This will replace the current agency Sgrin. The change follows a review undertaken by ACW in collaboration with the WDA to shape new arrangements that will complement the new creative industries hub established by the Assembly Government. • Fifteen clients3 will be invited to apply for ACW Lottery funding from 2007-08 onwards rather than being funded through grant in aid. This is a necessary change to ensure ACW can properly provide for its core strategic priorities in the year ahead. ACW will be working with the 15 clients over the next 12 months to help them apply for project funding for their programmes and events to make up for the shortfall in their grants. Some may be eligible for three-year funding under the new arrangements, and by consulting other stakeholders, ACW will do everything possible to secure their future. Further information: 1. The 21 Community Arts organisations benefiting from enhanced funding are: Arts Care, Arts Connection, CARAD, Celfogwmpas, Community Dance Wales, Community Music Wales, Dance Blast, Dawns Dyfed, Dawns i Bawb, Dawns Tan Tan Dance, NE Wales Community Dance, Powys Dance, Rhondda Cynon Taff Community Arts, Rubicon Dance, South Wales Intercultural Community Arts, Theatr Felinfach, Valley & Vale Community Arts, Valleys Kids Artworks, Voluntary Arts Network, Women’s Arts Association, Disability Arts Cymru. 2. The 20 venues benefiting from Arts outside Cardiff funding are: Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Beaufort Theatre, Blackwood Miners’ Institute, Borough Theatre, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Coliseum, Galeri (Cwmni Tref Caernarfon), Muni, North Wales Theatre, Parc and Dare, Pavilion Theatre (Rhyl), Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre, Royal International Pavilion Llangollen, Swansea Grand Theatre, Taliesin Arts Centre, Theatr Brycheiniog, Theatr Hafren, Theatr Gwynedd, Theatr Mwldan, Torch Theatre. 3. The fifteen revenue clients affected by the change in policy are: Aberystwyth Music Fest, Archif Cerddoriaeth Draddodiadol Cymru, Cymdeithas Ddawns Werin Cymru, Festivals of Wales, Gwyl Werin Pontardawe Festival, Llantilio Crossenny Festival of Music and Drama Ltd, Lower Machen Festival, Machynlleth Tabernacle Trust, Model House Llantrisant Ltd, North Wales Jazz Society, Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts Ltd, Queen’s Hall Gallery, St David’s Cathedral Festival, Torfaen County Borough Council (Torfaen Jazz), University of Wales, Aberystwyth (Ceramic Archive) |
| Arfts Council of Wales web site: www.artwales.org |
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Thursday, March 02, 2006 |
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