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grant rises for the arts outside cardiff
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The Arts Council of Wales yesterday signalled its commitment to serve the whole country by announcing big grant increases for a raft of groups based outside Cardiff.
Culture Minister Alun Pugh wants to take over the funding of six big arts organisations including Welsh National Opera, but his plans were overturned by a vote of the whole Assembly last month.
He has implicitly criticised ACW for being too elitist, suggesting not enough has been done to encourage disadvantaged groups to attend and participate in arts events. But many arts practitioners have expressed their concern that direct funding would lead to political control.
Yesterday ACW confirmed the majority of arts clients (65), including six of the largest companies, will receive a 2.72% increase in funding to cover inflation.
Some 21 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.
An additional £1m for the Arts outside Cardiff fund means that 20 venues across Wales will enjoy increased funding, 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.
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.'
ACW's plans include several important structural changes designed to focus resources on output rather than administration.
A merger between the Sherman Theatre company and Sgript Cymru has been agreed in principle. Joint working arrangements have also been agreed between three community arts organisations in Powys - Celf o Gwmpas, Carad and Arts Connection.
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Thursday, March 2, 2006 |
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