Arts Council Wales 2005+

Proposed changes to responsibilities for funding and strategic planning

In November 2005, Alun Pugh, Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport, announced changes to the infrastructure supporting the arts in Wales. These changes would alter the relationship between the Welsh Assembly Government and the Arts Council of Wales (ACW). ACW would no longer have responsibility for strategic planning for the arts in Wales, and the six largest arts organisations in Wales, currently funded through the Arts Council, would be funded directly by Government. These announcements were made without proper consultation of the arts sector, on which they are likely to have a considerable impact.

NCA response

In January 2006, the NCA convened an advocacy group of 25 Welsh arts organisations to discuss the situation. The group gave the NCA a temporary mandate to speak on its behalf and the NCA duly alerted Assembly Members and the press to political developments. While the major issue was the lack of consultation, delegates also expressed concerns about the potential removal of the arm's length principle and the creation of a two-tier funding system. Some were also anxious that the Welsh Assembly Government would not be equipped to take over the role of strategic planning for the arts or to further the access agenda. An opposition amendment to halt changes immediately and instigate a review of ACW was debated in February and was passed by one vote. The review will now take place and an interim chairman of ACW, Professor Dai Smith, was appointed on 28 March 2006.

Wales Advocacy Group meeting for interested parties, January 2006

Wales Arts Review 2006

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