Alun Pugh, Minister for Culture has today welcomed the publication of theReport 'A Dual Key Approach to the Strategic Development of the Arts in Wales'. The Minister in welcoming the report said: "I welcome the publication of the report. I echo the sentiments of theChair of the Review that "there is a need for the arts to flourish in a period of stability, innovation and ambition". "The report "espouses change", and accepts that the need for change is inevitable in a post-devolution world." " The Welsh Assembly Government shapes and funds almost every public service in Wales and we invest £28.5 million in the arts. It is right that in a post-devolution Wales we make the relationship between the Assembly Government and the agencies that fund and make decisions on the arts clearer, and that we work together in partnership to deliver world class arts for all." Alun Pugh also paid tribute to the time and expertise devoted by the Panel, chaired by Professor Elan Closs Stephens, in carrying out the Review. The report will be debated in Plenary on 6 December. ................................................................................ Background to the Stephens Review Why was the Stephens Review set up? The Stephens Review was set up by the Minister for Culture to produce a report after a vote in Plenary on 1 February 2006 instructed the Assembly Government to review the role of the Arts Council of Wales. The motion instructed the Assembly Government to halt all work in association with directly funding the six national companies, until they had carried out a public review of the role of the ACW and sought approval from the Assembly in December. What has the Stephens review been asked to do? The Minister for Culture, after consultation and agreement with party leaders on the membership, and Culture Committee agreement to the remit, appointed a panel to conduct the review of the ACW. The panel has been tasked with advising the Minister on the existing and future role of ACW, the respective roles of ACW and WAG, and the funding of the arts in an international context. How are the arts currently funded in Wales? Welsh Assembly Government spending on the arts in Wales has doubled - from £14.8 million in 1998/9 to £28.5 million in 2006/7. The cumulative Assembly Government spending on the arts over the same period is £210 million. Welsh Assembly Government spending on culture, that is supporting the arts, museums, libraries, archives, heritage and the Welsh Language, has more than doubled since 1998/9 from £50 million to over £103 million in 2006/7. The cumulative spend on culture since devolution is of the order of £670 million. In 2006/07 the Arts Council of Wales received £27m of the Assembly Government arts budget. ACW is also the arts distributor for the National Lottery in Wales. Its total programme expenditure in 2004/5 (ACW Annual Report 2004/5) was £13,496,000 and £16,235,000 in 2005/06 (ACW Annual Report 2005/06) Local Authorities are also responsible for funding the arts locally, estimated at around £36 million a year (from ACW Annual Report 2005-06). Money for the arts comes from other Assembly Government Departments as well, for example from Communities First, the Department for Enterprise, Innovation and Network and also Objective one funding. The private sector is also key in supporting the arts in Wales, through sponsorship and partnership activity. In 2004/05, business investment in Wales was £10,376,895,which was up 9.4% on previous year's figure of £9,485,289 2003/04. (Source: Arts & Business Private Investment Survey 2004/5) Why does WAG want to merge the Arts Council of Wales with WAG? The intention was not to merge ACW with WAG. The First Minister announced the intention to redefine the relationship between the Welsh Assembly Government and the Arts Council of Wales in November 2004 as part of a wider programme of reforming public services and getting rid of the quango state in Wales. Under the original plan the Arts Council would remain, but its focus would be more developmental in nature. The Culture Board and a new Culture Strategy for Wales As part of the November 2004 announcement, a Culture Board was set up to develop a Culture Strategy for Wales which would replace the current strategy, Creative Future: Cymru Greadigol. The Culture Board, chaired by the Minister has met on four occasions. Its members are the Chairs and Chief Executive of ACW, National Museum Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru, National Library of Wales, Wales Books Council, plus representation from the WLGA. The main focus of the Culture Board so far has been to advise the Minister on the development of a draft culture strategy for Wales. It has also discussed the International Dimension for Culture, considered the importance of Wales’ spatial plan issues for culture and discussed responding to Beecham. The Culture Board in not a quango; its role is to advise the Minister. The Board papers and minutes are published on the Assembly Government website. The new culture strategy will not only cover the arts but also museums, galleries, libraries, the historic environment and the importance of culture for our communities, the economy, health and education. The strategy is currently being prepared with the intention that it will be consulted upon in the New Year. Why does the Welsh Assembly Government want to directly fund the ‘big six’ arts organisation in Wales? The First Minister also announced in 2004 that from April 2006, six national arts organisations would be directly funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. The six national organisations were: Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Theatr Genedlaethol, Welsh National Opera, Diversions Dance Company, BBC Wales Orchestra and Academi the literature agency for Wales. The intention was to create recognised national companies. As part of their contract with the Assembly Government they would receive a funding package that would give them financial stability and the ability to plan over a longer-term period. And in return, as national companies, they would have a responsibility working with other parts of the Assembly Government and organisations, for example VisitWales, as international ambassadors in promoting Wales oversees. They would also have a responsibility, alongside other arts organisations in Wales for increasing access to the arts and developing new audiences. A similar policy in relation to national arts companies is being implemented in Scotland. Why make these changes? The Assembly Government wants to create a more transparent and accountable framework for developing strategy for the arts in Wales, and ensure that we have a strategic framework for taking forward the arts agenda in Wales. Wales has changed since the advent of devolution. At present, WAG funds ACW and gives it strategic direction through the annual remit letter. For example it asked the ACW to develop a strategy for ensuring arts provision outside Cardiff was strengthened, which resulted in Arts Outside Cardiff, which receives £2m of WAG funding through ACW. However, it is not only the Arts Council for Wales, which is responsible for developing the arts in Wales. Local authorities for example have an important role as do the private sector and Arts and Business Wales. Other Assembly Government Departments also have an important role to play in the international arena. The Assembly Government wanted to make the funding and delivery of services democratically accountable and ensure that culture policy is embedded across all portfolios of the Welsh Assembly Government. But access for all is not at the expense of excellence. We want excellence for all. This is why we wanted to create the concept of National Companies. How the arts are run in other parts of the UK? This is a topical issue in both England and Scotland. In Scotland, a cultural commission carried out a substantial review, and the Scottish Executive has announced major changes, to be implemented in a new Culture Bill. The national performing arts companies (eg Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet) will be directly funded by the Executive. The Scottish Arts Council will be replaced by a new statutory quango, Creative Scotland, which will be a cultural development body. In England, there was a Peer Review of the Arts Council of England in 2005, and ACE launched on 7 November this year a Public Value Enquiry – this will explore what is meant by “the arts”; accessibility, barriers and motivations; attitudes to funding and the role of the Arts Councils. A report will be published in Autumn 2007. The Stephens Review looked at arts funding in other countries, notably Australia, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as others countries in the UK. What happens next? The report will be presented to the Minister for Culture on 29 November and there will be a full debate in Plenary on 6 December. When will the Minister appoint a new Chair for ACW? The Minister’s original intention was to appoint a Chair from April 2006. However, the plenary motion committed the Assembly Government to carry out a review of the Arts Council so it was not sensible to make an appointment to the full-term position until the outcome of the review was known. The process for appointing a full-term Chair will be subject to the full formal public appointments process. The Subject Committee nominees (two AM’s who are members of the Culture Committee) will be involved. The position will be publicly advertised and it will be open to anyone to apply. Further information 1 February 2006 motion: 1. Instructs the Welsh Assembly Government to immediately carry out a public review of the role of the Arts Council for Wales and to halt, forthwith, all work associated in any way with its preparations to take over responsibility for the direct funding of Welsh National Opera; National Orchestra of Wales; Diversions; Academi; Clwyd Theatr Cymru and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru until: 2. a) a comprehensive consultation has been carried out with all interested parties, the terms of which to be agreed by the Committee for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport; and b) It seeks the approval of the National Assembly by a motion to be tabled by the Business Minister in December 2006. 3. Recognises the record £181m investment in the arts and the 56% increase in the Arts Council for Wales’ grant-in-aid since 1999. 3. Supports the policy objective of raising participation levels in socially deprived communities in order to ensure that all communities in Wales benefit from public funding for the arts. 4. Confirms the “arm’s length principle” that politicians should not make decisions on artistic content. 5. Confirms the importance of democratic accountability in public funding relating to policy, governance and infrastructure. Terms of Reference for the review are set out below: To produce a final report before December 2006, together with relevant evidence, designed to inform Assembly Government decisions on the future framework for funding arrangements which support the arts, including the role of the Arts Council of Wales (ACW). The Review will advise the Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport as regards: a) The existing and future role of ACW in relation to: its funding of the arts, including the national arts organisations ; the development of the arts in Wales ; The development of access and inclusion in the arts, and tacking social inequalities. c) The roles of the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Assembly Government in future, taking account of the need for: <sum> democratic accountability ; <sum> transparency and openness ; <sum> artistic freedom ; <sum> an environment within which the arts can develop in all parts of Wales ; <sum> improving access to the arts and excellence in the arts ; <sum> Active management and development of arts funding recipients. c) The funding of the arts in an international context: <sum> levels of arts funding ; <sum> Funding mechanisms. The report will set out conclusions and make recommendations. |
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 |
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