| Wales and Scotland: The Gap Becomes a Gulf |
Culture in the Senedd |
| Artists, Government, University, Museum, Arts Council , Art & Culture in the Public Sphere , February 6, 2025 |
On 30th January Angus Robertson, Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Culture, made good his previous statements on commitment to culture:“This is a foundational moment for culture and the arts in Scotland. More organisations than ever, in more parts of the country will benefit from the stability of Multi-Year Funding with the number of funded organisations more than doubling, from 119 to 251. “Funded as part of a record £34 million increase for culture in the draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget, this significant increase in both the number of funded organisations, and the level of grant funding they will receive, has the potential to be truly transformational. It secures the future of key cultural organisations of all sizes across Scotland, which are major assets to our communities and our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and creating new opportunities for freelancers, artists and other creative practitioners.” Robert Wilson, Chair of Creative Scotland said: “This is an extremely positive moment for culture in Scotland, bringing with it a renewed sense of stability and certainty to Scotland’s culture sector. Thanks to the vote of confidence in the culture sector, demonstrated by the recently announced budget from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland can offer stable, year-on-year funding to more organisations than ever before.” * * * * In the spring of 2024 performers stood on the steps of the Senedd in protest. Their cause was the despoliation of the chorus of the national opera. They did protest with flair and colour. Nothing is ever entirely new. A quarter of a century ago artists also protested in artistic manner. A procession took to the streets. A coffin and a wake of mourners walked at slow pace across the centre of Cardiff. They were in mourning for the death of drama. Their journey ended outside the offices of the Arts Council of Wales, where the coffin was off-loaded. The drama of the protest caught the attention of the press and featured largely. In 2025, on 17th January, a document was circulated amongst the cultural organisations of Wales. It read: “We, the undersigned organisations, welcome the Senedd culture committee’s report and recommendations on the state of funding of the arts in Wales. Arts spending in Wales per head is now the lowest in Europe, bar Greece. “We call on the Welsh Government to see this report for what it is; a final warning before irreversible damage is done to the cultural life of the nation. We ask the First Minister to act on the warnings in the report and reverse the decade-long devaluing of arts and culture this country has been subject to. “We want to hear a recognition that arts funding is not subsidy, but investment, and that the people of Wales deserve arts organisations that are not just surviving, but thriving - now and for future generations. We call on the First Minister to make a public commitment to the value of arts in Wales.” “Rydym ni, y sefydliadau sydd wedi llofnodi isod, yn croesawu adroddiad ac argymhellion pwyllgordiwylliant y Senedd ar sefyllfa gyllido y celfyddydau yng Nghymru. Erbyn hyn, mae gwariant y pen ar y celfyddydau yng Nghymru yr isaf ond un yn Ewrop, gyda Gwlad Groeg yr isaf. “Rydym yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i gydnabod yr hyn sydd dan sylw yn yr adroddiadhwn, sef rhybudd olaf cyn y bydd hi’n amhosib unioni’r niwed i fywyd diwylliannol y genedl. Gofynnwn i’r Prif Weinidog i weithredu’r rhybuddion yn yr adroddiad a gwrthdroi’r degawd o ddibrisio rydym wedi’i weld yng Nghymru o ran y celfyddydau a diwylliant. “Rydym eisiau clywed cydnabyddiaeth nad cymhorthdal yw cyllid ar gyfer y celfyddydau, ond buddsoddiad, a bod pobl Cymru’n haeddu sefydliadau celfyddydol sy’n ffynnu yn hytrach na goroesiyn unig - nawr ac ar gyfer cenedlaethau’r dyfodol.Rydym yn galw ar y Prif Weinidog i wneud ymrwymiad cyhoeddus i werth y celfyddydau yng Nghymru.” * * * * In 2025 young people again stood in protest. This time they were musicians, the location Cathays. On 28th January a second petition was launched by Llion Williams. In extract: “I am writing this letter to the Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University to express my profound disappointment and outrage at the decision to cut the Music degree course at Cardiff University. This action represents a gross dereliction of duty and a deeply short-sighted betrayal of Wales's rich musical heritage. “As the capital city of Wales, Cardiff University has a unique responsibility to nurture and cultivate artistic talent within the nation. Music is not merely a frivolous pastime; it is an integral part of our cultural DNA, woven into the very fabric of our society. From the vibrant folk traditions to the contemporary sounds emerging from our cities and towns, music enriches our lives, fosters creativity, and strengthens our communities. “Cardiff, as the cultural heart of Wales, has long been the wellspring of musical inspiration for many. “Our nation’s musical legacy is deeply intertwined with the lives and works of greats such as Ivor Novello, Alun Hoddinott, William Mathias, and Grace Williams, whose compositions have brought global recognition to Welsh music. To cut the Music degree course is to betray this rich history and the contributions that Welsh musicians have made to the world stage over centuries. This decision diminishes the role Cardiff has played in fostering Wales’s proud tradition of musical excellence and stifles future generations who could follow in these illustrious footsteps. “By eliminating the only dedicated music degree course in Cardiff, the University is effectively forcing aspiring musicians to seek their education elsewhere, likely in England. This not only undermines the aspirations of countless talented young people but also weakens Wales's capacity to produce world-class musicians and contribute to the global music scene. “Furthermore, Music, as a major component of creative industries, supports jobs, local businesses, and tourism, all of which have significant economic value. By cutting the Music degree, Cardiff University risks undermining the future contribution of Welsh musicians and artists to both the local and national economy. “...By abandoning a key cultural course such as music, Cardiff University is risking its own reputation as a leader in higher education and as a progressive institution. Universities are meant to be bastions of intellectual and cultural leadership, and this decision undercuts that role, diminishing Cardiff's standing both within Wales and internationally. Countries like Finland, known for their thriving music education programmes, have shown the world the power of the arts to build a cohesive and progressive society. “To discard such a cornerstone of our cultural identity is an act of cultural vandalism. It sends a chilling message that the arts are not valued in Wales, and that our aspirations for a vibrant and dynamic cultural landscape are being systematically dismantled.” * * * * Welsh National Opera released a statement 31 January 2025: “We’re shocked to hear of plans to close Cardiff University's prestigious School of Music which has produced some of Wales' most beloved and influential composers, including Grace Williams and Karl Jenkins, both of whom delved into writing opera during their extraordinary careers. “This is yet another devastating blow to the Arts in Wales. Despite cuts across the sector, the Welsh arts and cultural industry has continued against all odds to punch well above its weight. Welsh artists, musicians, actors, directors and technicians are often at the vanguard of the creative industries in the UK and across the world and are essential forces in securing Wales a place on the world stage. “But, without courses such as those provided by the School of Music, the future of Welsh art and creativity is being cut dead in its tracks. And, crucially, without investment in our next generation of talent, Wales' international reputation for excellence in the arts will be denied to future generations of Welsh people.” * * * * The record of governance at the National Museum is established, the only arts institution to have attracted the disfavour of the Audit Commission for Wales. The governance led to an announcement on 2nd February. “Due to a requirement for immediate maintenance work, Amgueddfa Cymru has made the difficult decision to temporarily close National Musuem [sic] Cardiff to the public for a short period.” In May 2024 the Museum had its budget cut by £3m. The Chief Executive said in interview that there was a “massive” problem with the condition of the building. {Note: The Museum re-opened after five days. The closure prompted Heledd Fychan in the Senedd to address the Culture Secretary: “We’ve seen pictures of water streaming into galleries. Buckets to cope with leaks from the roof have become as normal a part of the national collections as the works themselves. And yet, you, as minister, do not think that there is a crisis. You’ve confirmed mechanical failures and we’ve seen the consequences of this ignorance elsewhere.”] * * * * To theatre. Reportage is too often clogged with private anecdote; it is the era. But the relating of private experience can have its occasional moment. In the summer of 2009 I found myself, by accident, in Bratislava for a short time. I travelled little at that time and took the opportunity to visit the country's Ministry of Culture. The welcome was warm and the interest in Wales was high. For a small nation on the periphery of the European Union culture, they said to me, had a two-fold importance. It mattered not just for itself but for raising their country's profile. In that year in Wales Black Rat, Dirty Protest, Diversions, Frapetsus, Hijinx, Iolo, Mappa Mundi, Spectacle, Theatr Powys, Theatr Pena, the Torch, Wales Theatre Company were all out and about touring. Druid Theatre from Galway was doing Synge in Cardiff. Kneehigh performed in Wales. That is not how it is now. And yet. The words that come from the apex of the Welsh state are full of promise. A first stop might be the Programme for Government itself. There it is in the Labour Party's “Programme for Government 2021-2026.” There is the purpose that over-rides: “to enable our tourism, sports and arts industries to thrive.” In the detail: “We will: Establish a National Music Service. We will invest in our theatres and museums, including establishing the Football Museum and the National Contemporary Art Gallery. We will develop plans for a Museum of North Wales.” This is in accord with previous statements. “We want a Wales that’s dynamically connected to the rest of the world through the richness of its arts and the networks that they create.” That was the Minister for International Relations 10th May 2019. “The culture of Wales is a world culture and this is the arena it needs to operate in, locally and internationally.” “International connections provide important routes for sustaining careers, for benchmarking quality, and for enriching artistic practice through collaboration and the sharing of new ideas.” Those are from the Arts Council of Wales Corporate Plan 2018-2023. “The Welsh Government recognises the role of culture in creating influence and soft diplomacy, particularly around the communication of Wales’ values internationally.” “There is a need to develop the right work that is export-ready and tourable.” Those are from a report by the British Council in Wales headed “International Showcasing Strategy Arts Wales.” And it is a tale of two parts. The first is Government policy, the ratcheting down of cultural impact. But the other part is one that goes little addressed. Some of those who are in receipt of budgets for culture divert that benefit for the diminishment of culture. |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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