Arts Council of Wales funding overhaul causes ‘deep shock’
Hattie Fisk
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
National Theatre Wales, who received £1.6 million of support last year, has been stripped of its funding from the Arts Council of Wales.
National Theatre Wales / Joseph K Dress/ Kirsten McTernan
Today, the Arts Council of Wales has announced its funding review.
81 organisations will be funded across Wales from 2023/4, but a number of organisations who have previously been funded have been cut — the most notable of which being National Theatre Wales.
Arts Council of Wales (ACW) says that there are still areas with gaps or reduced access to arts activities, so it will fund a series of ‘strategic interventions’ to provide additional support to areas or art forms that are ‘underserved’.
The commitments mentioned include targeting the representation of disabled people across the theatre sector in Wales with RAMPS Cymru, and a review of traditional music.
Response
National Theatre Wales has said it is in ‘deep shock’ after being stripped of its funding. In 2022/23 the theatre company received £1.6 million from ACW, but now this funding has been completely removed.
The organisation has said the cut will reach its staff, theatre makers and audiences, stating: ‘This decision will impact every one of those people: reducing opportunities to engage with theatre, to gain creative employment and to tell the stories of Wales across the nation and to the world.’
Other organisations that were cut include Eleni, Hafren, Head4Arts, Impelo, Rubicon Dance, Taliesin Arts Centre and Trac Cymru.
New funding
Based in locations across Wales, some of the newly funded organisations in receipt of annual funding include Elysium Gallery in Swansea (£120,000); FOCUS Wales in Wrexham (£100,000); Neuadd Ogwen in Bethesda (£125,000); and Urban Circle in Newport (£275,000).
Funding has been offered to culturally and ethnically diverse-led organisations such as Fio (£220,000) and Jukebox Collective in Cardiff (£280,000).
More Welsh language-led organisations will be offered funding than in previous rounds, including Theatr Soar in Merthyr Tydfil (£100,000) and Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw in Llanbedrog (£75,000)
Public funding is made available to Arts Council of Wales by the Welsh Government, and the rest of the money is made up by the National Lottery to create a total of £29.6 million.
Read the full list of those receiving funding on the ACW website.
