| Times of Turbulence |
Arts Council Uncovered |
| Timeline of Trouble 1999 , Companies, Equity, Writers Guild, Local Government, Parliament , December 12, 2012 |
The public travails of Creative Scotland reached their end on 4th December. The Chief Executive fell on his sword and is no more. The cause was simple, the decision to put more than 40 arts companies on project funding. A mass letter of protest followed, its point being that the managers got their salaries and pensions while the artists, who actually did the arts for Scotland, lost their regularity of income. Poet Don Paterson called the finding body a "dysfunctional ant-heap". The letter's signatories were illustrious: John Byrne, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Alasdair Gray, James Kelman, AL Kennedy, Liz Lochhead, Ian Rankin. The language was robust: "ill-conceived decision-making; unclear language and lack of empathy and regard for Scottish culture". * * * * Arts Councils detonate from time to time. Wales has been peaceful for a dozen years. It is worth remembering that Wales had its Scottish time that began in January 1999. This is how a selected timeline ran. 21st January: The Arts Council of Wales announced a new strategy for the future development of drama in Wales. 22nd January: Nicola Thorold, Director of the Independent Theatre Council responded “the timescale you propose both for withdrawing funds from companies and notifying others of their grants in writing is unacceptable...most drama companies in Wales are in danger of trading illegally or will be unable to commit to any activity in the first quarter of the next financial year. Others, that you propose to cut, have already entered into commitments that they must honour beyond September 1999.” 29th January: Hijinx wrote to “express the Company and Board's disgust at the lack of consultation surrounding the decision and the inadequate support provided by officers of the Council, dismay at the timing of the publication of this document, which despite the Company's best endeavours has caused complications to individuals and groups we work with, and will have financial consequences.” 1st February: The Director of Education at Blaenau Gwent Borough Council wrote “to register my concern at the possible impact on Gwent TIE in particular.” 1st February: Gwent Theatre wrote that “this document does not present a strategy or vision for Drama and totally ignores the networks and relationships which have been developed with local authorities, schools and other agencies which are threatened by the proposals in this document.” 8th February: The Western Mail wrote “It looks like curtains for the company chosen to represent Wales theatre in the new Millennium Centre. The award winning Hijinx Theatre faces closure in September after the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) slashed its funding.” 12th February: Critic David Adams wrote that “this document leans very heavily on certain concepts that are at the very least somewhat slippery: 'high quality', 'excellence', 'service', 'access', 'the general audience' and the mantra 'fewer means better', with little or no regard for the complexities and ambiguities inherent in these terms that suggests either naiveté or disingenuousness. “There is an appalling ignorance (in both senses of the word) of the strengths and weaknesses of indigenous Welsh theatre...pragmatic, economic policies are disguised as a concern for 'excellence' and 'accessibility'. There is never any evidence presented to support crucial decisions.” 16th February: Playwright Charles Way wrote that “the proposal to halve the number of companies, cannot by any computation present more opportunities for writers and new writing even if the remaining four companies are better funded. Half the number of companies will not reach more young people and give them more access to theatre. It does not add up...This is not a strategy.” 22nd February: The Welsh Committee of the Writers Guild wrote of “the haste with which this consultative process is being undertaken...It seems worryingly premature to want to axe companies and redefine the whole drama map of Wales before we explore avenues of further funding and support which might be forthcoming from "Y Cynulliad"...The case for ACW's preference is not set out compellingly or convincingly, and needs to be explained more fully.” 25th February: Brith Gof wrote that “The Draft Strategy Document proposes to support innovation through project funding. We strongly believe that dependence on project funding is unsustainable for any company, our selves included, and the withdrawal of revenue funding from Brith Gof will therefore end Brith Gof's work in live performance in Wales...Brith Gof is one of the few companies regularly working in rural West Wales, and one of the very few companies in recent years to have had productions commissioned by promoters in Swansea, the valleys, and West Wales.” 26th February: Equity Wales wrote that “it could not support the proposals contained in the Draft Drama Strategy because the Committee do not believe that they will work in the interests of professional practitioners in Wales...Every action by ACW in practice results in the opposite. There is every possibility that the Annual Open Meeting of the Union in Cardiff in March will pass a vote of no confidence in ACW to represent and act in the best interests of practitioners in Wales.” 27th February: The Sherman Theatre wrote that it was “concerned that the number of companies will be reduced, and that by implication so will jobs for highly skilled professionals in the industry. There is no indication that companies and jobs will increase, therefore further eroding the arts provision to the people in Wales.” 1st March: Alun Williams MP put down an Early day motion at the House of Commons. “That this House deplores the decision of a quango, the Welsh Arts Council, to allow only five weeks consultation on its draft Drama Strategy for Wales; notes that this will mean that the consultation finishes before the Welsh Assembly is elected; and urges the Secretary of State for Wales to intervene to ensure that no irreversible decisions are taken by the Arts Council for Wales before the Assembly has had full opportunity to consider and debate the proposals and any options.” 1st March: Michael Bogdanov wrote “the current plan is too cautious and conservative. It is the politics of desperation brought about by a poverty of vision at the heart of ACW thinking. To put it bluntly the plan is yet another example of the Welsh capacity to shoot ourselves in both feet and the brain at the same time. “ 1st March: Spectacle Theatre wrote “We regret that we are unable to support this draft strategy and hold major concerns about its potential impact on Drama in Wales if implemented.” 2nd March: Theatr Powys wrote “recommends to its Management Committee to oppose the proposals in the ACW drama strategy proposal consultation paper.” 10th March: David Adams wrote “the swingeing demolition exercise is part of the Arts Council of Wales's Drama Strategy for Wales. The document has been savaged by nearly every theatre organisation in Wales, and criticisms are on public view on this web site. This, say critics, is to ensure than the mass opposition to the plan is not buried by the arts council officers.” 10th March: The Western Mail published a letter from Janek Alexander, Phil Clarke, Chris Ryde and Steve Fletcher that “the general arts community despairs at a public body which has failed in its task to articulate a coherent strategy and vision for culture in Wales. Fifteen MPs have signed an early day motion deploring the Arts Councils actions. The professional theatre community has expressed deep concerns over the implications for audiences across Wales of the recently announced Drama strategy.” 1st June: The Arts Council of Wales published an analysis of responses to the strategy document. “As expected, the Draft Drama Strategy has stimulated wide debate...The diversity of responses was very wide and the detail covered extensive...The document was welcomed on the whole and numerous respondents believed it was indeed time to implement change...there was a substantial degree of support and that many responses critical of single issues, nevertheless indicated support for the broad approach.” 27th October: Hansard recorded MP Llew Smith calling for resignation over: “the decision of the Welsh Arts Council to treat the opinions and support of the people of Gwent with disdain in refusing to allow Gwent theatre in education the resources to carry on the work that it has done for 23 years” 27th October: The National Assembly announced the launch of a major review into the arts and the activities of the arts funding bodies in Wales. 29th October: Llew Smith, MP for Blaenau Gwent and Don Touhig, MP for Islwyn, issued a press release on being refused access by the Arts Council of Wales to the successful bid by the Cardiff based Company who have been made responsible for developing Theatre in Education in Gwent. The MPs stated that only three of the six members of the Evaluating Board responsible for evaluating the bids and deciding on the excellence of the Companies had in fact seen any of the work produced by Gwent Theatre in Education. Touhig: “This is quango government at its worst..They meet behind closed doors, spending millions of pounds of taxpayers money and when MPs ask legitimate questions about the various bids they received, they refuse to give us the information.” Llew Smith: “Those responsible must either reverse the decision or resign. They are treating the people of Gwent like idiots, obviously believing that we are not capable of deciding what form of Theatre in Education we want and who should be responsible for it.” 29th October: Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council condemned the decision of the Arts Council of Wales to withdraw funding from Gwent Theatre and asked that the decision be postponed until after the inquiry into arts funding by the Welsh Assembly. 8th November: The National Executive of The Writers' Guild of Great Britain in London, passed a vote of no confidence in the Arts Council of Wales. 2nd December: The future of theatre in education was debated in the House of Commons. Wales Minister David Hanson stated that he would urge the arts quango to give details of both successful and rejected bids for theatre in education schemes in Gwent, Powys and North Wales. Llew Smith's call that the arts council suspend its drama strategy had the backing of more than 100 MPs. The Parliamentary group of the Wales Labour Party voted unanimously to call for an inquiry into the council. 3rd December: BBC Wales reported that in a consultative ballot members of the MSF union had voted overwhelmingly in favour of holding a vote of no confidence in the management team at the ACW. 8th December: The Assembly Post-16 Education Committee voted for an explanation of the drama strategy. The vote went against the wishes of the cabinet secretary responsible for arts and culture, Tom Middlehurst. 8th December: In the House of Lords Lord Islwyn stated “All local authorities and Members of Parliament in the area are opposed to the proposal and the opposition is also buttressed by a public petition of over 8,000 signatures. Even the staff of the Arts Council is now threatening a vote of no confidence in the board. As that body receives £15 million of public money, is there not now a need for a full inquiry into the matter? Meanwhile, should not the chief executive, M.S.J. Weston, and the chairman resign? “ 17th December: Chief Executive Joanna Weston denied reports of a vote of no confidence from her staff. 21st December: Llew Smith, MP for Blaenau Gwent MP, stated “the Arts Council of Wales failed in its duty to fairly evaluate the merits of the different theatre companies and instead reached decisions based on prejudice.” |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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