Summary of the findings of the Wales Arts ReviewThe full report can be dowloaded from the link at the end of this news item The Role of the Minister with Responsibility for the Arts . The Minister responsible for the arts will promulgate a charter at the beginning of each administration. The charter will outline the Assembly GovernmentÕs values as they pertain to the arts, and will include a declaration on artistic freedom. We encourage the political parties in the National Assembly to set out their priorities for the arts in their manifestos to raise the awareness of their ambitions for the arts. . Advocacy for the arts will be led by the Minister, and should place particular emphasis on developing co-operative strategies with fellow Cabinet colleagues. The Panel will outline in summary the following proposed model. . The Role of the Minister with Responsibility for the Arts .5 The Role of the Strategy Board . 4 The Role of National Companies and Initiatives . The Role of the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) . 8 Creating Excellence and Transparency of Reward within ACW .39 The Role of Regional Pa .3 The Minister is also the link to the Culture Board to ensure consistency of the arts strategy with the wider culture strategy. Importantly, the Culture Board should seek to maximise the cultural value of the arts spend. This includes linking initiatives with wider social, economic and cultural objectives. .4 Timeline: To be implemented by May 007. The Role of the Strategy Board .5 The Panel advocate the creation of a Strategy Board of ACW and the Welsh Assembly Government, chaired by the Minister with responsibility for the arts. This is a dual key approach. The Board will include representatives of other areas of government policy, the local authorities and the private sector. The members should be of sufficient standing to ensure the credibility of the Board in the eyes of the stakeholders. .6 The dual key Strategy Board should oversee the development of strategies for issues such as social inclusion; the relationship between the WMC and its partner organisations; the development of the new drama strategy; youth development; festivals etc. We stress that these are examples, and that the agenda will be set by the Strategy Board itself. .7 The Panel recommends that the Strategy Board, when setting a strategy for social inclusion, should include urban and rural communities, diversity and disability, and the use of the Welsh language within the arts. It should also have due regard as to whether some arts forms, including possibly music, electronic art and video/film have advantages in reaching younger age groups. .8 The Board should develop an entrepreneurial and outcome-driven view of the arts in tune with present attitudes towards the creative industries. .9 The Strategy Board would be a transparent forum for the Minister to take advice on unforeseen issues that might arise from time to time. .1 0 The Strategy Board would be serviced by a joint secretariat drawn from both the Assembly Government and ACW. This approach is in keeping with general moves to establish a wider and more flexible public service in Wales. .11 The Panel advocates the creation of an Arts Research and Development Fund of at least £0.75m annually which would act as a lever for change. . 12This fund is to be Òfree moneyÓ annually; continuous revenue funding for successful projects should be funded from other suggested resources. The fund will also facilitate wide-ranging research projects both statistical and qualitative. . 13 Timeline: To be created by the summer recess 007. The Role of National Companies and Initiatives . 14 The Panel agree that some companies and initiatives have a special place in promoting excellence, and Wales. It may be that only the Welsh National Opera and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales have the resources and opportunity at present to fulfil this role. . 15 The Panel is mindful that some initiatives or organisations have a claim on national status (e.g. Wales at the Venice Biennale, the Urdd Eisteddfod or the Academi) although they are not producing companies. .1 6 We are of the view that further work should be done by the Strategy Board on the role of a national organisation, company or initiative, and on the support strategies needed for its development. Consideration should be given to what constitutes a national organisation and its wider responsibilities to the nation. . 17 The Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) should be regarded as an international and national major performing arts venue. Due consideration should be given by the Strategy Board to the success of the WMC, and the fruitful joint working between the Centre and its partners of whom four are currently under discussion as national bodies. Consideration should also be given to the financing of Urdd Gobaith CymruÕs Eisteddfod, since the Urdd is a WMC partner organisation. .18 The bar for according national status should reflect WalesÕs ambition both nationally and internationally. The status for companies should be confirmed and sustained by international peer review to determine what constitutes a national company, and its wider responsibilities to the nation. . 19 We are also aware that further work is being developed on theatre in Wales. This is clearly a strategic priority and will have a bearing on whether one, two or more theatre companies achieve the proposed status. . 20 The Panel proposes that the companies should not be directly funded. They should be managed by ACW. However, the strategic development of designated national companies will be a major and ongoing concern of the new Strategy Board. . Timeline: Rolling programme from January 008. The Role of the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) .22 The Panel recommends that ACW refocuses its priorities on the need to develop the arts in Wales. The Board and management of ACW should be capable of not only embracing, but delivering WalesÕs ambitions for the arts. This change of focus may warrant a new name, for instance Arts Development Wales. . 23 ACW should retain its Board, Chair and Lottery awarding powers. . 24 ACW should act less as a gatekeeper body and more as an advocacy body for the organisations and companies at the Strategy Board and in other arenas. Advocacy for the arts in government should remain with the Minister; advocacy for companies and organisations and their development more generally should remain with ACW. . 25 ACW needs to further develop its art form and arts management expertise. In doing so, it should create an ongoing and meaningful sharing of ideas with client bodies and practitioners, thus drawing on their expertise. . 26 The Panel recommends much more emphasis on training and high level skills, and on more international and UK exchanges and shadowing opportunities. ACW should work with the sector skills councils in this context. .2 7 Timeline: to be immediate and ongoing. Creating Excellence and Transparency of Reward within the Arts in Wales .2 8 The Panel is aware that many companies in Wales create work of high quality whilst possibly not being of the size or geographic spread to be regarded as national. The Panel wishes to see the development of these companies within ACW as a search for excellence, innovation and inclusion. . 29 The Panel has already made recommendations under . 4 above regarding national companies and organisations. ACW should look towards the designation of beacon companies amongst its clients. These would have the status of being recognised for excellence, whether nationally or locally, whether in a prestigious art form or in community work, whether as a small local initiative in the Rhondda or a creative venue in North Wales. Beacon companies may be organisations, venues, companies or individuals who achieve levels of excellence, and this should be rewarded. .30 Beacon companies, venues and organisations can be small and local or large and international. ACW will therefore prioritise excellence and strategy rather than size or geographic spread. .31 It should not be automatically assumed that all or any existing revenue clients of ACW will become beacon companies. .32 ACW should develop clear criteria for the designation of beacon companies, to also include innovation, delivery against KPIs, sustainability, access, and regional and national role. Beacon companies will vary in number, but will always demonstrate consistent best practice in their field, which may be art form or development based. In addition, ACW will encourage them to minimise costs by sharing administrative functions with other organistations. .33 ACW should have additional funding (£ .5m annually) as a Merit Pot for companies and organisations that achieve targets such as innovation, social inclusion and excellence. These targets may be single targets; it should not be assumed that all beacon companies achieve all targets, only those that are appropriate, strategic and agreed. .34 The Merit Pot should be used solely to reward beacon companies thus producing a transparent measure of who is included and how companies may change over time. Again this is a lever for change and not an overall addition to general revenues. .35 ACW should consider the Australian major performing arts model in developing beacon companies and providing additional assistance in terms of leadership training, international opportunities and retained reserves to finance future innovation. This would be one way in which ACW fulfils its role as a development organisation. .36 The Panel does not necessarily commend the creation of a Major Performing Arts Board as exists in Australia. Instead, we recommend that some of the working practices of the Australian model should be adapted and adopted in the Welsh context, including a scrutiny of business plans and the ability to maintain healthy reserves. .37 ACW should retain its role in supporting individual artists including beacon status individuals. .38 Timeline: Process to be agreed for delivery from April 008. The Role of the Regional Partnerships .39 The Panel recommend that ACW develops a strategic partnership with consortia of local authorities according to the principles discussed in the Beecham Report. .40 These partnerships would serve as the second dual key strategic element in developing the arts throughout Wales. .41 The Panel suggest the WLGA develop and recommend to their members the adoption of a statement of principles and artistic freedom as corresponding to the one recommended to the Assembly Government in section . . .42 The new partnership agreements would require Service Level Agreements for a budgetary cycle of three years or more. All members of the partnership would therefore ring-fence pledged funds. .43 The Service Level Agreements should be strengthened through a mandatory requirement for all unitary authorities to facilitate arts opportunities and activities, in parallel with the library standards provisions. This, we believe, is essential. .44 The new partnerships should be chaired by the ACW Regional Director and be regarded as action groups consisting of local authority officers, venue directors and regional arts organisations, practitioners, members of the business community, and members of the public. .45 In line with our dual key approach, the Panel recommends a joint secretariat between local government partnerships and ACW, thus mirroring the joint secretariat for the Strategy Board. .46 Provision should be made for consumer/audience input through available resources, such as Audiences Wales, for example. .47 The new partnership arrangement will provide an opportunity to look at the potential for the rationalisation of back office accounting and the payment of smaller grants to be made through the payroll procedures of local authorities or local large venues. Any savings would provide further funding for front line activities. In kind partnership might constitute part of the local authorityÕs financial contribution to the partnership. .48 Partnerships would agree a 3 year regional action plan which would bring together the policy direction of the national strategy developed by the Strategy Board and local needs and aspirations. .49 Pilot schemes should begin by April 008, the same start time as the pilot Beecham PACT. The others should follow over time, and follow whatever consortia are agreed between the Assembly Government and the local authorities. The structure and membership of the pilot schemes will be determined by the Strategy Board. .50 Some additional money will be needed to kick start this initiative. This money could be made available through existing Assembly Government funding channels such as the Making the Connections programme. .5 This is not simply a cost-cutting exercise. It should be borne in mind that the arts can be a powerful tool in delivering local and community aspirations for economic development and regeneration, and utilising European structural funds. Local initiatives and organisations have also been at the forefront of delivering inclusion and diversity. These local partnerships, therefore, stand as dual key organisations delivering arts strategy at a regional level. .5 Timeline: Two pilot projects to be set up by April 008 and monitored for efficiency. The Panel commend these proposals to the Minister as proposals that will, we trust, ensure a fundamental step change in strategy, ambition and delivery within the arts world in Wales. |
| Wales Arts Review web site: new.wales.gov.uk/walesarts/?lang=eng |
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 |
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