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Arts Council Asked For Explanations
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THE ARTS Council for Wales is coming under pressure from the Government to explain its decision not to renew franchises for young people’s theatre to three companies.
Wales Minister David Hanson will urge the arts quango to give details of both successful and rejected bids for theatre in education schemes in Gwent, Powys and North Wales.
He made his promise during a debate on the future of theatre in education in the Commons yesterday, called by the Blaenau Gwent MP Llew Smith.
As the first Welsh MP to secure a debate in the new Westminster Hall chamber, Mr Smith used his half-hour to voice his astonishment at the way long-established Gwent Theatre had been pushed aside to be replaced by the Cardiff-based Theatre Iolo.
He was critical of the arts council’s refusal to supply information about the respective bids saying, “We can only assume that they’ve got something to hide.”
The back-bencher went on to claim that the Cardiff company simply did not have enough money in the bank to be able to compete with the existing company, which already has an HQ in Abergavenny, by providing a permanent base in the area.
His calls for the arts council to suspend its drama strategy have already been given the backing of more than 100 MPs.
And, on Tuesday, the Parliamentary group of the Wales Labour Party voted unanimously to call for an inquiry into the council’s awarding of franchises.
Disquiet at the side-lining of Theatre Powys was raised during the debate by Brecon and Radnor MP Richard Livsey and there have also been concerns at the removal of Clwyd Theatr Cymru’s franchise.
Mr Hanson agreed to pass on the concerns of Westminster colleagues to Post-16 Education Assembly Secretary Tom Middlehurst, who is now responsible for cultural policy.
And he said he would look in to Mr Smith’s concerns that the appeals procedure by which Gwent Theatre is challenging the Arts Council’s decision was not truly independent.
“I believe in the openness and transparency of decisions. In the interests of openness, I intend to write to Tom Middlehurst and the Arts Council to pass on these concerns,” said Mr Hanson
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Western Mail
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Thursday, December 2, 1999 |
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