Thousands of people from Wales have joined politicians, business people, famous names and global supporters to appeal to the Arts Council of Wales to save St Donats Arts Centre from closure this July. The appeal will be heard at a meeting with the Arts Council next week.
Nearly 2,000 people from as far as Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Germany, Switzerland, India, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Gambia and Denmark as well as from Wales and the UK have signed the arts centre’s online petition and over 3,500 postcards have been sent to the Arts Council of Wales to persuade it to reinstate the £45,379 grant to the arts centre.
The iconic folk singer, Ralph McTell is supporting the appeal, “This is a wonderful facility and has tremendous support. St Donats’ reputation for being at the forefront of the arts in Wales would be severely damaged by any withdrawal of grants”
Such withdrawal would mean the end of the arts centre as well as its International Storytelling Festival, the only one of its kind in Wales and the largest in the UK as well as an annual programme of educational storytelling events.
Welsh Education Minister and Vale of Glamorgan AM, Jane Hutt supports “the Arts Centre's commitment to serving areas of acknowledged deprivation in addition to the work it has done since the mid 1990's to provide a programme of educational, touring and outreach events taking storytellers into classrooms and into the most deprived areas of south Wales including 'communities first' areas.”
James Emery, Managing Director of a south Wales business specialising in making musical instruments, and providing tutors and recording studio facilities to school age children is frustrated with the Arts Council’s decision, “This offers the community and your visitors with an eclectic offering of musical genres - folk, blues, jazz, world - theatre, art, storytelling, children's activities, adult learning (My fiance and I even recently undertook Salsa lessons at the centre). There is, as far as I can tell, nowhere else in South Wales offering such a wide variety of incredible artistes and experiences.”
Other local supporters are also devastated. Sue Eynon from Llantwit Major says, “I have always appreciated the wide range of concerts, films and events at this arts centre. I attend whenever I can. Its loss to the local and wider community would be immeasurable. Children and adults alike would suffer if this valuable local resource to the community was to fold.”
John Morris, Pontardawe describes the arts centre as, “Quite unique, a global hub where all races and creeds can meet on an equal footing” while Dorian Nicholas from Aberdare feels that, “this is a remarkable pace to see culture at its best, something that is almost forgotten in this today’s world of entertainment”.
Janet Smith, General Manager of St Donats Arts Centre said, “The arts centre has never been more buoyant and dynamic. Last year, we promoted 111 educational and outreach workshops to just under 4,000 children, young people and elderly people in Wales including the south Wales Valleys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr, Newport, Barry and Swansea. This summer we will be the first and only venue in Wales to attract the prestigious Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to perform in the grounds of the arts centre and provide associated workshops for students. We will also be working closely with the Vale of Glamorgan Council on an innovative project to encourage storytelling skills among pupils in six Barry primary schools.”
The arts centre’s International Storytelling Festival attracted, in July 2007, over 1,600 people from Britain and beyond and comprised over 80 performances by over 60 Welsh and international storytellers. The festival is supported by the National Assembly of Wales for its ability to attract tourists to Wales, for the boost it provides to the south Wales economy estimated at £138,000, for the international attention it brings as well as the quality and scale of its educational and touring work. “The Beyond the Border event which I have attended with my children and grandchildren many times is a wonderful international event helping to preserve and strengthen ancient traditions … nothing else that I experience appeals to all ages, all classes, all race” says enthusiastic supporter, Peter Hilken from Cambridge. |
