The debate on the website has been as lively as ever, but I thought it might be helpful to set out some of the facts, as inevitably, some of the speculation is not accurate. Firstly, in response to the investment in the Wales Millennium Centre, the Assembly Government has committed to delivering £2 million per annum to the arts outside Cardiff. This sum is being phased in. There will be £250k available in 2004/5, £1 million in £2005/6 and the full £2 million a year from 2006/7 onwards. As this money is being made available to mirror the expenditure in Cardiff, it has always been intended that it should be for the performing arts, and predominantly through the network of venues supported by ACW. ACW has being working to ensure that there is access to the performing arts throughout Wales and has sought to invest in improving existing venues and in developing new ones to cover areas less well served. Examples of this investment include the recently refurbished Theatr Mwldan and the soon to open Galeri in Caernarfon and theatre and arts centre in Newport. In the near future investment is scheduled to go ahead in the Torch Theatre amongst others. The additional funding should ensure that these venues can have quality programming to compliment the improved surroundings. Against this background, ACW consulted widely on how the funding should be allocated, and in our Corporate Plan for the current financial year, we proposed that once the £ 2 million per annum was available, that £150k should go towards allowing Wales to join the cross-border touring scheme, £350k should go towards production and that the remaining £1.5 million should be invested in venues. Once it had been confirmed that the funding will be coming through ACW, we invited Creu Cymru to develop proposals for us as the basis for allocating funding to the venues. These were presented to the Council at its meeting in March, and will be used in developing an ACW consultation paper which will be available later in the year. Final proposals for the distribution will not be agreed until after this consultation, and we will seek to ensure that as many views as possible are sought and considered. ACW funding from the Assembly Government is subject to conditions set out in the Annual Remit letter from the Minister. This year’s letter stated that supplementary guidance will be issued in respect of the arts outside Cardiff expenditure, and this has not yet been received. In the interim, the Minister has announced that £100k of the £250k available in the current year is to be made available to Clwyd Theatre Cymru to enable them to deliver a mobile tour. The Minister is fully entitled to include requirements of this kind when allocating funding to the Arts Council. Once the supplementary guidance has been received, ACW will prepare proposals for the allocation of the balance of the funding. Creu Cymru has made proposals to ACW, and these were generally welcomed and will be taken into account. I hope that this helps to clarify the issues. Yours sincerely Peter Tyndall Chief Executive |
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| Peter Tyndall e-mail: |
Thursday, April 1, 2004 |
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