Communities and Culture Committee

The accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales

February 2011 The National Assembly for Wales is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales and holds the Welsh Government to account.

An electronic copy of this report can be found on the National Assembly’s website: www.assemblywales.org

Copies of this report can also be obtained in accessible formats, including Braille, large print, audio or hard copy from:

The Communities and Culture Committee National Assembly for Wales Cardiff Bay CF99 1NA

Tel: 029 2089 8597 Fax: 029 2089 8021 email: [email protected]

© National Assembly for Wales Commission Copyright 2011 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading or derogatory context. The material must be acknowledged as copyright of the National Assembly for Wales Commission and the title of the document specified.

Communities and Culture Committee

The accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales

February 2011 The Communities and Culture Committee The main function of scrutiny committees is to examine within their remit the expenditure, administration and policy of the government and associated public bodies.

The Communities and Culture Committee’s remit covers: – housing; – community safety; – community Inclusion including Communities First and the Spatial Plan; – Welsh Language, sport and culture.

Powers The Committee was established on 26.6.07 as one of the Assembly’s scrutiny committees. Its powers are set out in the National Assembly for Wales’ Standing Orders, particularly SO 12. These are available at www.assemblywales.org

Committee membership

Sandy Mewies Mohammad Asghar (Chair) South Wales East Delyn Welsh Conservative Party Labour

Eleanor Burnham Alun Davies North Wales Mid and West Wales Welsh Liberal Democrats Labour

Mark Isherwood Bethan Jenkins North Wales South Wales West Welsh Conservative Party Plaid Cymru

Dai Lloyd Lynne Neagle South Wales West Torfaen Plaid Cymru Labour

Joyce Watson Mid and West Wales Labour Contents

Chair’s foreword ...... 5 The Committee’s Recommendations ...... 7 Introduction ...... 9 Who are we? ...... 9 Why did we want to do an inquiry into arts and cultural activities? ... 9 Terms of Reference ...... 11 How did we conduct this inquiry? ...... 12 Background ...... 14 The Arts Council of Wales ...... 14 The Arts Council of Wales‘ Investment Review ...... 15 Key Issues ...... 16 1. The impact of arts and cultural activities ...... 19 Boosting the economy ...... 19 Contributing to a sense of national identity ...... 21 Progressing other Welsh Government policies ...... 22 2. The One Wales Commitment ...... 25 Is the Welsh Government making progress towards achieving its One Wales commitment that ‗high-quality cultural experiences are available to all people, irrespective of where they live or their background?‘ ...... 25 Barriers to accessing arts and cultural experiences ...... 27 Where they live: Transport and Geography ...... 28 Their background: education and perception of the arts ...... 31 Their background: disposable income ...... 41 Their background: gender ...... 44 Their background: disabilities ...... 45 Their background: sexuality ...... 51 Their background: age ...... 52 Their background: Black, Minority and Ethnic groups participation in the arts and cultural experiences...... 53 3. The Arts Council for Wales’ investment review, and funding for arts and cultural activities in Wales ...... 55 The process of the Arts Council for Wales‘ Investment Review ...... 55 The need for the investment review (in principle) ...... 56 The Welsh Government‘s strategic input into the Investment Review ...... 57 The development of the investment review‘s decision making process ...... 60 The Arts Council of Wales consideration, during the Investment Review, of services users‘ own experiences of arts and cultural activities ...... 61 Feedback provided by the Arts Council of Wales to organisations who were unsuccessful in applying for funding in the Investment Review ...... 63 The inclusion of organisations without a history of revenue funding in the investment review ...... 66 The impact of the arts council of Wales Investment Review ...... 66 The geographic spread of arts and cultural activities across Wales ...... 66 Children, Young People and the Arts ...... 71 People with disabilities ...... 76 Umbrella/Voluntary organisations ...... 77 Enabling the development and emergence of new artists and institutions ...... 79 Other possible consequences of the Investment Review ...... 79 Efficiency savings within the Arts Council of Wales ...... 80 Variation in existing local authority funding for arts and cultural activities ...... 81 Concerns around future funding for the arts and cultural activities in Wales ...... 84 Future local authority funding ...... 87 Alternative future sources of funding ...... 88

4. Improving the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales ...... 90 Three year funding cycles ...... 90 A co-ordinated central governmental approach to arts and culture 92 Partnership approaches between Local Authorities ...... 94 Partnership approaches between organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural activities ...... 96 Pooling resources for marketing ...... 96 Pooling resources for people with disabilities ...... 98 Sharing Business Planning Expertise and skills development ...... 98 Delivering in partnership ...... 99 Enabling such partnership working ...... 100 Witnesses ...... 105 List of written evidence ...... 107

Chair’s foreword

Our arts and culture define us, express us, inspire and excite us. They are both an integral element in Wales‘ historical sense of nationhood, and a modern driver of economic growth and community inclusion. The Welsh Government has long recognised the value of arts and cultural experiences in progressing a wide range of policies, including education, health and community safety, and utilised public funds to progress them.

However, every pound of public finance has to deliver its utmost for the people of Wales, and it is critical that arts and cultural experiences are therefore accessible for all of Wales‘ people, irrespective of their background, where they come from, or any disabilities they may have. In the current economic climate we therefore considered it was particularly appropriate to undertake an inquiry into the accessibility of arts and cultural experiences.

The evidence we heard suggests that the Welsh Government has made progress in making arts and cultural experiences more accessible, but accessibility remains patchy in a number of (delete both) geographic areas, particular art forms and for people with disabilities. We also heard a range of concerns about the potential consequences of reducing public funding for the arts.

Our witnesses identified a wide range of good practice in making arts and cultural experiences more accessible, and we have recommended to the Welsh Government that it endeavour to facilitate the sharing of good practice in the future. Rather than seeing other arts and cultural organisations as competitors, we believe it is imperative that such organisations develop partnerships to learn from, and indeed promote, each other. We see no reason why a person visiting a theatre, a sports event, or a concert in their local pub, cannot subsequently be signposted towards other forms of art and cultural experiences.

In the current economic climate, it is inevitable that public funding may be withdrawn from, as well as increased to, particular organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences. We consider that in such circumstances the process by which such funding decisions are reached needs to be immaculately clear and transparent,

5 with robust, detailed feedback provided to organisations whose funding is being withdrawn. The evidence provided in our inquiry suggested that improvements can be made in the quality of such feedback.

Finally, on behalf of the Committee, I would like to offer my thanks to all those individuals and organisations who gave us the benefit of their experience and advice, both in formal committee meetings, and by responding to our call for evidence. I would also like to thank members of the Communities and Culture Committee for their commitment to this inquiry.

6 The Committee’s Recommendations

Recommendation 1. We recommend that the Welsh Government facilitates a sharing of good practice (for increasing accessibility) between organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences. (Page 31)

Recommendation 2. We recommend that the Welsh Government seeks to increase media coverage of Wales‘ arts and cultural experiences, and to challenge the perspective that arts and cultural experiences are for ‗an elite few.‘ (Page 35)

Recommendation 3. We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to prioritise supporting the development of arts and cultural experiences (including those taking place within ‗community venues‘) over and above the development of new ‗purpose-built‘ art venues. (Page 40)

Recommendation 4. We recommend that the Welsh Government ensures that decision makers determining the public funding provided to particular arts and cultural experiences, effectively and thoroughly take into account the accessibility of such experiences for people with disabilities, and LGB people. (Page 49)

Recommendation 5. We recommend that the Welsh Government ensures that an audit is taken of the accessibility of all publicly-funded sites intended for the provision of arts and cultural experiences. (Page 50)

Recommendation 6. We recommend that the Welsh Government accepts that it has an accountability, at a strategic level, for the funding decisions undertaken by Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies, such as the Arts Council of Wales. (Page 59)

Recommendation 7. We recommend that the Welsh Government works with partners to enable the identification of geographic areas in Wales where people have particularly limited access to arts and cultural experiences. Following this work, we anticipate that the Welsh Government would then encourage partners to strategically utilise such information to develop increased access to arts and cultural activities in areas where people have particularly limited access to arts and cultural activities. (Page 70)

7 Recommendation 8. We recommend that the Arts Council of Wales continue to prioritise the development of a strategy for Children, Young People and the Arts as urgent. (Page 76)

Recommendation 9. We recommend that the Welsh Government brings forward a measure to place a statutory duty on local authorities to support arts and cultural experiences in their local areas. (Page 83)

Recommendation 10. We recommend that the Welsh Government has dialogue with the Arts Council of Wales to ensure that reductions in funding for its revenue funded clients are limited to around 4% over a three year period from 2011-2012, as set out by the Minister for Heritage. (Page 86)

Recommendation 11. We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to seek to persuade the UK Government to enable them to provide three-year funding deals to bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales, with year-end flexibility. (Page 92)

Recommendation 12. We recommend that the Welsh Government clarifies its total current expenditure towards arts and cultural experiences, across all Government Departments. (Page 93)

Recommendation 13. We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to promote a co-ordinated approach between its various departments in their support for the arts and culture experiences in Wales. (Page 94)

Recommendation 14. We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to encourage the development of regional arts services across local authority areas. (Page 96)

Recommendation 15. We recommend that the Welsh Government sets out a strategic message that all public funding arrangements for arts and cultural experiences should be reviewed to ensure that they promote, rather than prevent, partnership working between organisations delivering arts and cultural experiences. (Page 102)

Recommendation 16. We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to emphasise the obligation of Wales‘ National Arts and Cultural bodies to the people of Wales as a whole. (Page 104)

8 Introduction

Who are we?

1. The Communities and Culture Committee is a cross party committee, made up of Members from all 4 political parties represented at the National Assembly for Wales.

2. The Committee is not part of the Welsh Government. Rather, the Committee is responsible for examining the expenditure, administration and policy of the Welsh Government, and associated public bodies, in relation to Housing, Community Safety, Community Inclusion, the Welsh Language, Sport and Culture.

3. Sometimes we do this work by holding an inquiry into a particular issue. This involves us speaking with lots of different people to gather evidence about what‘s happening about a particular issue, before presenting our findings to the Welsh Government. This enables us to hold Welsh Government Ministers‘ work to account, and also allows us to suggest recommendations on how the Welsh Government could improve its work in relation to a particular issue.

4. This report details one such inquiry, entitled ‗The accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales.‘

Why did we want to do an inquiry into arts and cultural activities?

―To be born in Wales, Not with a silver spoon in your mouth, But, with music in your blood And with poetry in your soul, Is a privilege indeed.‖1

5. For centuries, arts and cultural experiences have had a critical importance in Wales‘ national identity. Many contributors to this inquiry (referred to as witnesses) described how different art forms are ―part of our cultural DNA and are an intrinsic part of our life in communities in every part of Wales.‖2

6. One of the Welsh Government‘s main commitments, outlined in ‗One Wales,’ was that ‗high-quality cultural experiences are available to

1 Brian Harris, In Passing, 1967. 2 CC(3) AC 21 (Ty Cerdd).

9 all people, irrespective of where they live or their background.‘3 As a result of this commitment, many arts and cultural activities receive funding and support, directly or indirectly, from the Welsh Government.

7. In the current economic climate it is inevitable that financial support from public funds is under ongoing pressure to deliver the best, most effective results for the people of Wales.

8. We noted, for example, that prior to our inquiry being launched, on 29 June 2010 the Arts Council announced the outcome of its detailed Investment Review4 of its funding arrangements, determining a new portfolio of 71 revenue funded organisations (RFOs) that would receive priority for Arts Council funding from 1 April 2011 onwards. As a result of the review, 32 organisations in Wales that currently receive annual revenue funding will see this arrangement end from April 2011.

9. More recently, during our inquiry, the Welsh Government published its draft budget, which entailed that the overall heritage main expenditure group was falling from 159.6 million in 2010-2011, to £149.8 million by 2013-14.5

10. We therefore decided to examine both:

– whether the Welsh Government‘s existing investment in arts and cultural activities has been effective in achieving the Welsh Government‘s stated objective of widening accessibility to cultural experiences; and – what the impact of decisions about future funding might have on the Welsh Government‘s stated objective of widening accessibility to cultural experiences. 11. We also considered that an inquiry into the accessibility of arts and cultural activities would be both timely, and within the remit of our cross-party Committee.

3 Welsh Government, One Wales: A progressive agenda for the government of Wales, June 2007, Page 34 4 Arts Council of Wales, Renewal and Transformation: building a stronger future for the arts in Wales, June 2010 5 CC(3)-17-10, Paper 2 (Evidence Paper, Department of Heritage, Draft Budget Allocation for 2011-2012)

10 Terms of Reference

12. We agreed terms of reference for conducting an inquiry into ‘The Accessibility of Arts and Cultural Activities in Wales’’ in July 2010. Our terms of reference were: ‗to conduct an inquiry into the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales, examining the geographic spread of venues, the activities that take place in those centres, and issues of access and funding. In particular, the Committee will look into the following:

– the impact of the Welsh Government‘s investment in museums, libraries and archives in the context of providing access to cultural activities; – the impact of the Arts Council of Wales‘s Investment Review, published in June 2010, on all cultural activities and venues in Wales; – the possible impact of the Welsh Government‘s budget for 2011- 12 on all cultural activities and venues in Wales; – the geographic spread of venues and activities and how access is promoted across Wales; – the demographic variation in levels of attendance and participation, particularly in the context of equality, diversity and inclusion; – the key role played by local authorities in providing access to arts and cultural activities. 13. Notably, the process by which the Arts Council of Wales carried out its Investment Review, and the individual decisions taken as part of this process, were not included the original terms of reference of this inquiry.

14. In taking this decision, we recognised that our Committee‘s remit does extend ―to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of… associated public bodies.‖6 However, we were also aware that the business cases submitted by different arts organisations to the Arts Council of Wales, and the feedback provided by the Arts Council to such organisations was not on public record. As such, we did not consider that we would be able to effectively examine the individual decisions made by the Arts Council in its Investment Review.

6 National Assembly for Wales, Standing Orders of the National Assembly for Wales (May 2010), Standing Order 12.1

11 15. We also noted that the Arts Council of Wales is responsible to the Welsh Government. As such, we considered that it would be more effective for the Committee to scrutinise the strategic political direction and framework in which the Welsh Government had invited the Arts Council of Wales to operate in (through- for example- its remit letter). We therefore included a consideration of the impact- rather than process- of the Investment Review in our terms of reference.

16. However, we recognise that the decisions of the investment review, and the process by which the Arts Council of Wales reached these decisions were of concern to a significant number of witnesses. We have therefore included in this report our consideration of the evidence submitted around these concerns.

How did we conduct this inquiry?

17. We began our inquiry by launching a call for written evidence in July 2010. This was made publically available on the Committee‘s web-pages, and we also wrote to organisations that we thought might have a particular interest in the inquiry.

18. Eighty seven written responses were received from a variety of statutory, private and third sector organisations, and individual members of the public with a particular interest in the topic.

19. We also took oral evidence for this inquiry in formal committee meetings between 22 September and 3 November 2010.

20. Through this process we sought to take evidence from a wide range of witnesses, including:

– representatives of the Welsh Assembly Government (Welsh Government), including the Minister for Heritage, and Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning; – representatives of different organisations involved in delivering and supporting arts and cultural experiences (including both organisations whose funding was being continued and discontinued as a result of the Investment Review); – representatives from Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies (such as the Arts Council of Wales, Cadw, the National Museum of Wales, the National Library of Wales, etc.); – representatives of local government;

12 – representatives of organisations campaigning for greater accessibility (for disabled people for example); – individual members of the public with an interest in the accessibility of arts and cultural activities. 21. We are very grateful to all our witnesses for contributing to this inquiry, and appreciate the time they took to prepare papers and/or attend our formal committee meetings. It would have been impossible for us to conduct this inquiry without their expertise and hard work.

13 Background

22. Following the publication of ‗One Wales,‘ the Welsh Government made several announcements related to its aim of increasing accessibility to cultural experiences, including:

– the continuation of a scheme that provides free access to certain National museums and galleries in Wales; – the Libraries for Life strategy that would provide £10.5 million between 2008-2011 to modernise library facilities in Wales; – two grant schemes worth £860,000 each to encourage local museums and archives to attract new visitors;7 – £1.7 million to improve access to Wales‘s national art collections;8 and – the publication of the Museums Strategy for Wales 2010-2015, which deals with sharing resources and attracting new and younger audiences. 23. More recently, the Welsh Government announced its draft budget for 2011-2012. As a result of decisions taken by the UK Government the Welsh Government‘s overall budget was significantly reduced. Notably, this meant that revenue funding for the Heritage Main Expenditure Group ―reduces by £4.236m, over the three years of the RAE process equivalent to a reduction of 3%,‖ while capital funding ―reduces by £6.315m, to £12.307million a reduction of 34%.‖9

The Arts Council of Wales

24. The Arts Council of Wales (‗the Arts Council‘) is the national strategic body for the arts in Wales, distributing funds for the arts on behalf of the Welsh Government. The Minister for Heritage‘s 2009-10 remit letter stated that the Arts Council would be expected to contribute to the Welsh Government‘s aims by ‗focusing investment on increasing access to and widening participation in high-quality arts, particularly in areas of deprivation.‘

7 Welsh Government Press Releases, Welsh Museums & archives get funding for inspiring projects, 27 March 2008 and Welsh Assembly Government investment in yesterday’s treasures for tomorrow’s generations, 24 April 2009 8 Welsh Government Press Release, Welsh galleries get £1.7m funding boost, 14 October 2008 9 CC(3)-17-10 Paper 2, Evidence Paper- Department for Heritage- Draft Budget Allocation for 2011-2012, Paragraphs 5 and 6.

14 25. To this end, the Arts Council has published two draft strategies related to widening access:

– Changing Lives: Arts Council of Wales Strategy for Children, Young People and the Arts, which outlines the Arts Council‘s strategy over the next three years to improve participation in the arts among children and young people, with particular emphasis on ensuring that opportunities are available for children and young people to engage in arts closer to home; 10 and – Taking Part: Arts Council of Wales Arts Participation Strategy 2009-2013, which aims to increase opportunities for people to actively participate in the arts, mainly by promoting the benefits of participating and by signposting more effectively what is on offer across Wales. The Arts Council of Wales’ Investment Review

26. In addition, on 29 June 2010 the Arts Council announced the outcome of its detailed Investment Review11 of its funding arrangements, determining a new portfolio of 71 revenue funded organisations (RFOs) that would receive priority for Arts Council funding from 1 April 2011 onwards.

27. As a result of the review, 32 organisations in Wales that currently receive annual revenue funding will see this arrangement end from April 2011. The Arts Council has stated that it intends to provide support to these organisations through a transition programme.

28. However, the decisions of the Investment Review will also enable the Arts Council of Wales to increase funds to ―many of the 71 organisations it supports,‖12 despite reductions in the Arts Council of Wales‘ overall funding, as a result of the Welsh Government‘s budget.

10 The Arts Council of Wales launched a consultation on this draft strategy in December 2010, after we had finished taking evidence in our inquiry. Further details of the consultation can be found at http://www.artswales.org.uk/what-we- do/consultation-documents 11 Arts Council of Wales, Renewal and Transformation: building a stronger future for the arts in Wales, June 2010 12 BBC News, Arts Council ‗relief‘ as funding revealed, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12003851

15 Key Issues

29. Having carried out our inquiry, we are now able to provide a set of conclusions and evidence-based recommendations to the Welsh Government. A summary of our recommendations is detailed on pages 7-8 of this report.

30. Notably, this inquiry appeared to have particular resonance for many witnesses, taking place at a time when many were faced with an uncertain financial future. For this reason many consultees agreed that our inquiry was very timely.

31. More broadly, Professor Elan Closs Stephens also commented that:

―One way of ensuring that availability, access and regeneration remain live subjects for debate is to hold inquiries such as the ongoing one. I am very grateful to the Committee for the opportunity to submit evidence, and grateful also that the Committee is tackling such an important issue.‖13

32. However, a small number of consultees were critical of our call for written evidence. For example, Newport City Council considered that: ―it is disappointing that the committee has chosen a fairly narrow definition of arts and culture, and excluded Museums and Heritage.‖14

33. We acknowledge that our call for written evidence did not reference heritage sites, although it did state that the inquiry would examine ―the impact of the Welsh Government‘s investment in museums, libraries and archives in the context of providing access to cultural activities.‖15 We agree that museums and heritage sites are a critical feature in enabling arts and cultural experiences, and have considered the evidence provided by witnesses in this context.

34. Similarly two organisations (trac and Voluntary Arts Wales) considered that our call for evidence did not sufficiently recognise that arts and cultural activities could take place outside formally recognised

13 CC(3) AC 59 14 The Committee‘s call for written evidence did not reference heritage sites, although it did state that the inquiry would examine ―the impact of the Welsh Government‘s investment in museums, libraries and archives in the context of providing access to cultural activities.‖ 15 Communities and Culture Committee, Consultation Letter: Inquiry into the Accessibility of Arts and Cultural Activities, July 2010.

16 and publicly funded venues. For example, trac were critical of our question:

―How exactly are arts and cultural venues – including museums, libraries and archives – actively promoting access, attracting new audiences and encouraging participation in line with the One Wales commitment and the Arts Council‘s strategies?‖16

35. trac suggested that the framing of this question:

―implies that the network of community centres, Welfare Halls, Development Trusts, Communities First Partnerships, Workingmen‘s and Social Clubs do not work as community venues. In so doing it actively discounts arts and cultural activity that happens across Wales whether or not it receives funding from ACW, WAG ASPBs and other NGO sources… we feel from the phrasing of the question that WAG assumes that Wales-wide provision pivots on the built, funded venue network which is a false assumption‖17

36. We agree that community venues can effectively be used in enabling arts and cultural experiences, and have considered the evidence provided by witnesses in this context.

37. There was also a general agreement amongst witnesses that arts and cultural experiences had significant potential to progress Government policy, and benefit the people of Wales. Witnesses universally agreed that there was considerable value in the Welsh Government supporting arts and cultural experiences with public money.

38. However, there was debate amongst witnesses over the current accessibility of arts and cultural experiences in Wales, and the degree to which they would be accessible in future, as a consequence of funding decisions.

39. In considering these issues, we have identified 4 key issues as emerging in the course of our inquiry, detailed below:

16 Communities and Culture Committee, Consultation Letter: Inquiry into the Accessibility of Arts and Cultural Activities, July 2010. 17 CC(3) AC 39. It is assumed that trac was referring to the Communities and Culture Committee when it referred to ―WAG.‖ Notably, the Communities and Culture Committee is not part of the Welsh Government, and includes Members of all 4 political parties in Wales.

17 – the impact of arts and cultural activities; – the One Wales Commitment; – the Arts Council for Wales‘ investment review, and funding for arts and cultural activities in Wales; – improving the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales.

18 1. The impact of arts and cultural activities

40. Witnesses almost universally agreed that arts and cultural activities had a wide range of positive impacts, including:

– Boosting the economy; – Contributing to a sense of national identity; – Progressing other Welsh Government policies. Boosting the economy

41. A wide range of our witnesses18 emphasised the contribution that the arts made to Wales‘ economy, employment prospects, cultural tourism and attraction of new businesses. For example, the Arts Council of Wales stated that, across Wales as a whole:

―every £1 invested by the Arts Council in its revenue funded organisations delivers £3 of other income… taking an average over the last three years, just over 6,000 people were employed or volunteer in our revenue funded organisations.‖19

42. Similarly, Fern Smith advocated that:

―The Arts could be seen to be one of the only successful surviving parts of British manufacturing that is still making quality products which are not only consumed and used at home but which are exported with a quality stamp all over the world… We have yet to really see the benefits of the arts really being reaped in society as it has always survived on a percentage of a percentage of the country‘s available funds. How many times do we have to repeat that £1 of investment contributes £2 to the economy – at a time when the economy sorely needs it.‖20

43. While Equity commented to us that:

―the work of our members is a significant economic driver in the Welsh economy. Every pound of public investment produces

18 Including both those directly quoted and also: the Wales Association for the Performing Arts, Ffotogallery, CGWM, The Theatres Trust, Wales Association of Voluntary Arts, Gwynedd Council and Welsh National Opera. 19 CC(3)-12-10 Paper 2 20 CC(3) AC 34

19 twice as much in return to the exchequer... Business leaders also agree that investment in the arts should be sustained. In 2009 HSBC asked 500 entrepreneurs what they thought business across the whole of the UK should focus on and 56.5% said that the creative industries were the most important priority, 10% higher than the second priority which was top class training and education.‖21

44. Equity also noted that any cutbacks in Wales‘ arts provision could have knock on consequences to plans for it to:

―be a major player in the creative industries off the back of the investment by the BBC in drama in Cardiff Bay… If artists are to be wooed back to Wales it will have to be in association with more long term employment opportunities and television and film cannot offer these – only theatre can.‖22

45. Other witnesses also provided local examples of the economic impact of arts and cultural activities. Communities First in Rhondda Fach described how Porth Carnival:

―not only saw all traders income up on the day but there was an increased footfall in Porth Town Centre with increase in trade for the following 6 weeks, we hope to build on this success and continue to benefit and support the local economy... new businesses coming into the Town Centre have purposely opened their doors on the day of the Carnival.‖23

46. Likewise, Clwyd Theatre Cymru (CTC) estimated that with ―an annual ACW grant of £1.5 million, CTC contributes £12.8 million annually to the local economy,‖24 while Welsh National Opera stated that:

―a recent study into the impact of the company on the Welsh economy demonstrated that WNO contribute annually, five times the level of our annual funding from Wales.‖25

21 CC(3) AC 58 22 CC(3) AC 58 23 CC(3) AC 12 24 CC(3) AC 29. Clwyd Theatre Cymru‘s estimate was based on an economic impact formula developed by Professor Dominic Shellard in his 2004 report ‗The Economic Impact Study of UK Theatre.‘ 25 CC(3) AC 62

20 47. Notably, Capital Region Tourism stated that visitors to Wales considered that it still had significant room to improve on its provision of cultural activities, commenting that:

―attitudinal research by Visit Wales suggests that within its traditional UK target markets Wales is perceived to be scenically beautiful with many opportunities for outdoor activities but limited ‗cultural‘ life, as expressed by ‗things to do‘, especially in the evenings.‖26

48. We consider that the evidence of our inquiry clearly indicates that arts and cultural experiences can potentially boost the economic activity of Wales. We also consider that the evidence submitted by Capital Region Tourism indicates that with appropriate support arts and cultural experiences could play a still greater role in boosting Wales‘ tourism industry and further boost the economy.

Contributing to a sense of national identity

49. A range of witnesses emphasised to us the importance of arts and cultural events in contributing to a sense of Wales‘ national identity. For example, Jon Gower observed that the arts are ―part of us and in great part define us… they enrich our lives even as they challenge us.‖27 Similarly, The Circuit observed that:

―Wales cultural identity is what make us unique as a nation… [the arts] make a huge and ever increasing contribution to the quality of life of Wales‘ people as well as to community regeneration, social cohesion and just plain fun.‖28

50. However, Powys County Council warned that the contribution of the arts to Wales‘ sense of a national identity was not indestructible, cautioning against budget cuts to the arts with the observation that:

―The greatest loss imaginable would be for the people of Wales to lose connection with the sense of cultural identity found through the creative expression and enlightenment offered by the contemporary arts… without the arts individuals and communities will be diminished, reduced and malnourished.‖29

26 CC(3) AC 86 27 CC(3) AC 52 28 CC(3) AC 71 29 CC(3) AC 51

21 51. We believe that Wales can be justifiably proud of its achievements in the delivery of the arts and cultural experiences. We consider that the evidence of our inquiry clearly suggests that arts and cultural experiences have a clear role in contributing towards a sense of Wales‘ national identity.

Progressing other Welsh Government policies

52. Several witnesses also illustrated the impact that arts and cultural activities could have on community inclusion and community development. For example, the Arts Council of Wales described the:

―very intensive community arts activity that we have done in some of the most disadvantaged parts of Wales, has had an extraordinary result in enabling individuals and communities to find a voice and feel more engaged.‖30

53. Similarly, the WLGA described how arts services:

―contribute greatly to the cross cutting agenda: On average, 27% of arts service spend supports children and young people‘s services and education whilst 23% of arts service spend contributes to the development of community wellbeing, exclusion and promoting equality… Libraries are hubs of the community. There are more visitors to libraries in Wales than to football matches, theatres or cinemas, put together!‖31

54. While Professor Elan Closs Stephens recommended that we ―view the arts as one tool among many that can engender interest and vitality in an underprivileged community.‖32

55. Indeed, the Senghenydd Youth drop in centre also noted that on a practical level arts and cultural events could contribute to the work of community based groups, commenting that:

―The commitment to making cultural activities and experiences accessible to all has made a positive effect on many families and young people – free entry to cultural venues and museums

30 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 19 31 CC(3) AC 66 32 CC(3) AC 59

22 has allowed our project to utilise these venues and workshops.‖33

56. We consider that the evidence of our inquiry clearly indicates that arts and cultural experiences with appropriate levels of support can potentially play a key role in progressing the Welsh Government‘s policies around community inclusion and development.

57. Several witnesses also commented that arts and cultural experiences could act as valuable tools in progressing other Welsh Government policy objectives ―in areas such as health, regeneration and education.‖34 For example, Creu Cymru asked that:

―the Welsh Assembly Government recognise that the benefits arising from the arts sector are very considerable relative to a low level of investment. Participation in and attendance at performing arts (which are our areas of activity) have undoubted impact on health (mental and physical), skills, understanding and confidence.‖35

58. Evidence from Gwent Young People‘s Theatre (GYPT) also illustrated the positive impact that arts and cultural activities could have on young people‘s education, drawing attention to comments from one student who stated that:

―GYPT taught me to be myself and how to interact with people from different backgrounds… would I have got to drama college without GYPT? The answer is No.‖36

59. Similarly, Disability Arts Wales drew attention to the impact of arts in preventing ill-health and improving recovery times, commenting that people:

―experiencing mental health issues, recovering from stroke, cancer, heart disease, can all benefit significantly from arts activities and from a health environment enhanced by the arts.‖37

60. This observation was also made by the RNIB, who asserted that:

33 CC(3) AC 02 34 CC(3) AC 74 (Gwynedd Council) 35 CC(3) AC 24 36 CC(3) AWE 08 37 CC(3) AC 68

23 ―For many of the people that we support who are incredibly isolated, incredibly lonely and at risk of really severe mental health problems, access to the arts and culture is a key part of helping them stay independent. Enabling blind or partially sighted people to access arts and culture is crucial to helping them stay in employment, in education, and to helping minimise the risk of depression.‖38

61. We consider that the evidence of our inquiry clearly indicates that arts and cultural experiences have the potential to contribute towards a wide range of Welsh Government policy objectives. Such objectives may not necessarily happen ‗automatically‘ as a result of arts and cultural experiences taking place. Rather we consider that such objectives are more likely to be realised if arts and cultural experiences are strategically focussed towards realising particular objectives.

38 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 15

24 2. The One Wales Commitment

Is the Welsh Government making progress towards achieving its One Wales commitment that ‘high-quality cultural experiences are available to all people, irrespective of where they live or their background?’

62. The majority of our witnesses considered that progress was being made towards realising the Welsh Government‘s One Wales Commitment that ‗high-quality cultural experiences are available to all people, irrespective of where they live or their background.‘ For example, the Arts Council for Wales positively asserted that:

―86 per cent of people tell us that they attend or take part in the arts, the highest that that figure has ever been. Attendance is broadly the same across all regions of Wales, and we have seen a particularly large increase in the participation rates among the less affluent.‖39

63. Similarly, ffotogallery commented that:

―the Welsh Government should be justifiably proud of its investment in the performing arts, heritage and sport – which has enabled a wide range of people from all walks of life to participate in those cultural activities.‖40

64. While Jon Gower reported that:

―In my experience as an arts journalist over the past two decades or so Wales has improved access to the arts immeasurably and in recent years (concurrent and in tandem with the evolution of both the Assembly and the Government) the focus on accessibility, and the role of the arts in both community development and expression has been both successful and active.‖41

65. Indeed, Voluntary Arts Wales suggested that participation in arts and cultural activities in Wales may actually be higher than official figures would necessarily estimate because:

39 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 14 40 CC(3) AC 36 ffotogallery 41 CC(3) AC 52 Jon Gower

25 ―The participation figures that are collected by the Arts Council of Wales are based on organisations that it funds, so it excludes most of the organisations and groups that we support. The number participating in those groups and organisations across Wales is probably enormous… There is no baseline of total arts participation in Wales and there never has been. We think that that is missing from the monitoring.‖42

66. However, while most witnesses considered that progress was being made, they also considered that access in different art forms, for different groups of people, and in different parts of the country remained- in the Arts Council of Wales‘ words- ―very patchy.‖43 Torch Theatre commented, for example that on a geographic level:

―whereas most people within Wales do have cultural experiences open to them, it‘s not always a level playing field. If you take Cardiff, Mold and Milford Haven as an example, there is a great discrepancy in the quality of what‘s available and this is simply down to the different levels of investment for the various regions.‖44

67. Similarly, Creu Cymru commented that:

―Although Wales has a network of theatres and arts centres offering a diverse range of performance and participatory opportunities - the provision is not consistent. As one would expect there is a focus in urban areas e.g. the M4 Corridor whilst it is more scattered in rural areas where distances to cultural centres are greater and the transport infrastructure, roads and public transport, poor.‖45

68. Other witnesses were concerned that current funding enabled some art forms to be more accessible than others, with the Small World Theatre concerned that ―there seems to be patchy funding and an incomplete strategic approach to supporting the variety and diversity of art forms available in Wales.‖46 Similarly, Lucy Bevan considered that although:

42 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 10 and Para 17 43 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 16 44 CC(3) AC 09 45 CC(3) AC 24 46 CC(3) AC 78

26 ―arts investment is better structured than in other countries in the UK… there is far too much focus on major companies (WNO, BBCNOW, MTW) who spend a great deal of their time performing in England.‖47

69. A few witnesses considered the accessibility of arts and cultural activities to have worsened, rather than improved, in their experience. For example, TASC asserted that:

―To take the provision of the 1980s as a benchmark – before Lottery Funding came fully onstream - high-quality cultural experience to those in TASC‘s catchment area (roughly north Radnorshire and South Montgomeryshire) is now less available, and has been shrinking steadily over the last 15 years.‖48

70. However, a majority of witnesses broadly concurred with the Minister for Heritage‘s assertion that:

―if you look across the piece at the work done by various agencies such as Cadw, CyMAL, and the Arts Council of Wales, you will find that a number of the actions have resulted in more people accessing arts and cultural activities.‖49

71. We are pleased that in our opinion the Welsh Government appears to have made progress towards realising its objective of making arts and cultural experiences accessible for all people, irrespective of where they live or their background. However, the evidence of our inquiry also clearly indicates that there remains significant room for progress in a number of areas. These issues, and suggestions made by our witnesses for overcoming barriers to accessibility, are considered further in the following sub-section of this chapter, ‗barriers to accessing arts and cultural experiences.‘

Barriers to accessing arts and cultural experiences

72. Our witnesses identified a range of obstacles and barriers to the progress of the Welsh Government‘s commitment to enable people to access high-quality cultural experiences, irrespective of where they live

47 CC(3) AC 48. Lucy Bevan is Powys County Council‘s arts development officer, but was commenting in a personal capacity in this particular response. 48 CC(3) AC 81 49 RoP, Communities and Culture, 3 November 2010, Para 10

27 or their background. These challenges- and solutions for overcoming such barriers- are detailed below.

Where they live: Transport and Geography

73. The Welsh Government‘s One Wales commitment explicitly identifies the issue of ‗where they (people) live‘ as an issue to be overcome in enabling a true accessibility of cultural experiences. Nevertheless, a wide range of our witnesses50 identified that where a person lived in Wales (and their associated access to public transport) still represented a major factor in their ability to access cultural experiences. Rural, sparsely populated parts of Wales in particular were identified as locations where it was significantly more difficult to access cultural experiences. For example, Glasbury Arts commented that the remoteness of certain communities meant that:

―any definition or discussion of accessibility has to go beyond standard jargon on the subject, and recognise that there are communities which are so far from centres of art that it does not exist.‖51

74. This point was concurred with by the Oriel Davies Gallery, which commented that:

―travel is very difficult and expensive in rural areas, and in particular, schools find it increasingly difficult to be able to travel distances to visit the Gallery regularly because of the cost.‖52

75. While the Theatres Trust noted that:

―many areas of Wales remain rural and those people without access to their own transport remain reliant on public transport and continue to find it hard to access theatres if they are not close by.‖53

50 For example: the Senghenydd Youth drop in centre, Theatr Mwldan, Nicolas Young, Artes Mundi and Powys County Council. 51 CC(3) AC 45 52 CC(3) AC 70 53 CC(3) AC 60 The Theatres Trust did also comment that ―for those with their own transport the road routes across the Valleys and throughout Wales have improved and it is possible to travel to theatres that would once have been less accessible‖

28 76. Indeed, a few witnesses suggested that some degree of variation in the accessibility of arts and cultural events across Wales was inevitable, with Creu Cymru observing that:

―with limited funds the Arts Council cannot sustain a totally egalitarian, equitable structure which would mean that access to high quality art was the same whether you lived in Cardiff or Caersws, Barry or Beddgelert.‖54

77. Notably, TAN dance suggested that ironically the scarcity of arts and cultural activities in rural areas could potentially increase attendances at individual events, commenting that:

―the scarcity and therefore attraction of arts events goes a long way to counteracting the difficulty in travelling to venues. i.e. there is not that much on so people make an effort if there is something to go and see… [although the]… distances people have to cover do pose problems and our colleagues complain that this is not always recognised in levels of funding awarded.‖55

78. Witnesses suggested a number of solutions that arts organisers and event managers could take to overcome these obstacles. For example, the National Museum of Wales suggested that a limited subsidy scheme could help more people travel to the National Museum‘s sites,56 considered the potential of online access to their collections,57 and illustrated the work they were doing to share their exhibits with other museums, commenting that:

―I think that 130 sites across Wales have loans from the national museum, and there are over 3,000 objects on display in those different sites.‖58

79. Similarly, the National Library of Wales commented that it:

―has a programme offering activities in the community. The Education Service visits schools and involves hundreds of

54 CC(3) AC 24 55 CC(3) AC 69 56 CC(3) AC 47 57 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 133. Similarly, Ensemble regarded ―technology as presenting a significant opportunity for Arts in Wales to reach communities and schools in rural regions‖ CC(3) AC 07. 58 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 120

29 children every year using our cultural and artistic collections as an inspiration for the activity. The National Sound and Screen Archive Wales shows films in the community and works with groups to create and to learn through film.‖59

80. The RNIB also commented that event organisers could give greater consideration to the availability of public transport in scheduling the timing of events.60 Likewise, the RNID asserted that it would:

―like to see venues and transport providers working together to ensure that their programming timetables are delivered around transport providers timetables.‖61

81. Similar concerns were raised by witnesses in our previous inquiry into ‗Making the Most of Major Sporting Events,‘ in which we commented that:

―it is of vital importance that event organisers and transport providers communicate with one another at an early stage in planning for major sporting events.‖62

82. We welcome the range of good practice and ideas suggested by our witnesses for overcoming barriers associated with transport and geography. We consider that such ideas could usefully be shared amongst the wide range of people and organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences, following the recommendation of Capital Region Tourism that:

―that those leading cultural and tourism organizations in Wales share research and marketing best practise and outputs as a matter of course to optimize participation and attendance.‖63

83. We consider that the Welsh Government could facilitate the sharing of good practice for increasing accessibility, amongst organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences, through a variety of means. For example, the Welsh Government could consider delivering a regular programme of good-practice workshops

59 CC(3) AC 64 60 CC(3) AC 84 61 CC(3) AWE 11 62 Communities and Culture Committee, Making the Most of Major Sporting Events, 4 June 2010. 63 CC(3) AC 86

30 for organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences, an annual seminar, and/or a database of recorded good practice. We anticipate that this would include examples of good practice detailed throughout this report. For example, in relation to transport and geography, good practice already noted in this report includes:

– limited subsidy schemes; – use of digital technology; – sharing exhibits; – engaging in community-based activities; – and engaging with public transport providers when planning the timing of events). We recommend that the Welsh Government facilitates a sharing of good practice (for increasing accessibility) between organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences. Their background: education and perception of the arts

84. The Welsh Government‘s One Wales commitment also explicitly states that a person‘s background should not be a factor in determining whether they could access arts and cultural experiences. However, a range of witnesses identified to us that a person‘s background remained a significant issue in determining their ability to access the arts and culture.

85. For example, the Arts Council of Wales commented that as a broad generalisation ―the better and more broadly educated you are, the more able you are to take part in the opportunities that civic life offers you.‖64 Indeed, Academi suggested that:

―it should be no surprise to anyone that education (or rather the level of education attained) should play a role in determining consumption levels in the arts.‖65

86. Our witnesses suggested that ‗education‘ was a significant factor because it was often associated with a person‘s disposable income (considered in the following sub-section) and because of its role in influencing whether a person perceived arts and cultural experiences

64 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 27 65 CC(3) AC 05

31 ‗for them.‘ For example, the Arts Council for Wales commented that, in their research:

―a large proportion of people felt that, in some way or another, the arts were not for them and would not be of interest or relevance to them.‖66

87. Indeed, the Arts Council identified this perception of the arts as ‗not for us‘ as a bigger barrier to accessibility than costs. Likewise, Clwyd Theatre Cymru stated that they ―believe that cultural factors – giving rise to the idea that ‗theatre is not for me‘ are more decisive than geographical or price issues.‖67 Similarly, Academi suggested that whereas:

―barriers to participation in rural areas revolve around transport while in the more deprived regions of Wales, such as the south Wales valleys, ignorance and alienation play a much stronger part. Literature? What‘s in it for me? Why would I want to write poetry? Writing is something you do in school.‖68

88. As in the previous sub-chapter, witnesses suggested that arts organisers and managers of cultural experiences could themselves employ a number of solutions to overcome this perception barrier.

89. For example, several witnesses advocated presenting arts and cultural activities as ‗cool.‘ The Senghenydd Youth drop in centre commented that:

―it is the way the activity is presented – present it in a different (cool) way and they participate. Also who does it has an effect – Only Boys Aloud for example – cool people presenting a cool thing to do.‖69

90. Similarly, BBC NOW commented that the success of their partnership with the BBC Wales production, ‗Doctor Who‘ had meant that ―our performances are enjoyed by more than 400,000 viewers in Wales each time the programme is broadcast.‖70 Likewise Rubicon noted that:

66 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 23 67 CC(3) AC 29 68 CC(3) AC 05 69 CC(3) AC 02 70 CC(3) AC 11

32 ―Presentation is key when working with young boys and men and Rubicon is aware that a one size fits all approach is not suitable, because of the diversity of the people and communities we work with.‖71

91. Several witnesses suggested that arts and cultural activities could alternatively be presented as opportunities to develop skills and self- confidence. For example, Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias suggested that:

―any pre-conceived perceptions of inaccessibility, based on social issues, can be overthrown by showing how young people (and older adults) can further their musical talents and gain self-confidence, by providing them with the skills and opportunities to improve and perfect their performances.‖72

92. Similarly, Academi noted that its ‗Write for life‘ programme was aimed:

―at improving basic skills levels amongst offenders and encouraging a continued interest in learning with the ultimate aim of bettering offenders‘ chances of employment.‖73

93. Other witnesses suggested that arts and cultural activities could be presented as ‗family activities,‘ with the Welsh Sinfonia suggesting that the orchestra had:

―experimented with afternoon concerts, introducing family tickets which gave reduced prices to adults provided they were accompanied by children and concerts where the audience had the opportunity to meet the players over coffee and cake.‖74

94. We welcome the range of ideas suggested by witnesses to assist individual arts and cultural experiences overcome the ‗perception barrier,‘ including:

– presenting arts and cultural experiences as ‗cool‘;

71 CC(3) AC 79 72 CC(3) AC 54 73 CC(3) AC 05 74 CC(3) AC 25. BBC NOW described a similar scheme whereby audiences could ―meet the orchestra.‖ CC(3) AC 11

33 – presenting arts and cultural experiences as opportunities to develop skills and self-confidence; – presenting arts and cultural experiences as ‗family activities‘. 95. We consider that our first recommendation, that the Welsh Government enable a sharing of good practice associated with making arts and cultural experiences more accessible, should enable such ideas to be promoted and shared.

96. However, several witnesses suggested that the Welsh Government could also seek to address cultural attitudes to the arts and culture. For example, Carmarthenshire County Council identified (delete suggested) that:

―changing inherited cultural attitudes may be needed; it is partly educational, partly global and varies also in local or particular cultures as do ‗barriers‘ to engagement with sport.‖75

97. Similarly, Theatr Brycheiniog considered that:

―Even today, in our all-singing, all-dancing talent show celebrity obsessed world, there are certain preconceptions about the arts - that it is for a certain class of people for example – which need to be broken down before it becomes cemented.‖76

98. A number of witnesses suggested that such a cultural shift could be catalysed by addressing media coverage of the arts, with Artes Mundi commenting that:

―At a time when surveys are showing an increasing public interest in the arts the lack of quality arts coverage on Welsh television is a cause for concern.‖77

99. Similarly, trac and Fern Smith considered that arts coverage in the media routinely lost out to that placed on sport, with the latter commenting that:

―In the media, arts coverage is almost absent with the exception of the odd impenetrable late night panel debate for insomniacs. Arts coverage in Wales is much worse than in England also. Sport on the other hand covers pages of print

75 CC(3) AC 06 76 CC(3) AC 57 77 CC(3) AC 37

34 and hours of live radio and television and has regular slots in serious news / current affairs programmes. This is part of a debate on what a culture and a media chooses to champion and give coverage to. If the arts continues to play 3rd or 4th or 12th fiddle to sport then how do we lure the men away from the terraces and into the auditorium.‖78

100. Welsh National Opera went further, suggesting that the media sometimes propagated ―the myth of opera as an elitist artform to be enjoyed only by the most well-off and privileged.‖79

101. We concur with our witnesses‘ observations that the Welsh Government could help to challenge media presentations of arts and cultural experiences as being ‗for an elite few.‘ We consider that the Welsh Government can communicate key strategic messages, to create a brand image of Wales taking pride in its arts and culture, accessible to all. We anticipate that this could be achieved through a wide range of broadcast and print media platforms.

We recommend that the Welsh Government seeks to increase media coverage of Wales’ arts and cultural experiences, and to challenge the perspective that arts and cultural experiences are for ‘an elite few.’ 102. A wide range of witnesses also suggested that both the perception that arts and cultural experiences were ‗elitist,‘ and barriers associated with transport and geography could be addressed by getting arts and cultural experiences into communities, and using ‗community venues‘ (as opposed to requiring people to travel from their communities to arts and cultural venues).

103. Witnesses suggested that such work could take place both through outreach projects (from arts and cultural venues), field officers working in communities,80 and through activity generated within communities themselves. For example, National Theatre Wales observed that:

―People who don‘t think of going to the theatre find a different entry point if the work is in a place they do feel comfortable

78 CC(3) AC 34 79 CC(3) AC 63 80 CC(3) AC 05 (Academi)

35 attending, if they have heard about, seen, or been part of its creation, and the content inspires them.‖81

104. Similarly, Theatr Bara Caws observed that:

―we have seen that many of those who attend our club shows within the safe and familiar surroundings of their local club or pub are then willing to attend one of our more traditional productions, and are also, perhaps, more willing to experience the company‗s more challenging work.‖82

105. Several witnesses, including Arts Connect, praised the Arts Council for Wales Big Night out scheme:

―in terms of bringing professional arts activity into remote communities and into communities where arts attendance is traditionally low.‖83

106. The Arts Council of Wales also highlighted its expectations that all of its revenue funded organisations would engage with their communities, and in particular:

―we also invest in a network of 13 'expert' community arts organisations (3 in North Wales, 4 in Mid and West, and 6 in South Wales). These are acknowledged leaders in the 'front-line' delivery of community arts, and will be a priority for future support.‖84

107. Notably, Capital Region Tourism provided evidence that ‗everyday‘ cultural activity, generated within communities could have just as much impact (for visitors to Wales) as more formal venue based activities. It commented that:

―a group of American Ryder Cup visitors recently experienced a choir concert at Ewenny Priory and were then encouraged to join the customary impromptu follow-up performance in the local pub – it was the unforgettable highlight of their visit.‖85

81 CC(3) AC 49 82 CC(3) AC 31 83 CC(3) AC 26 84 CC(3) AWE 1 85 CC(3) AC 86

36 108. Indeed, a significant number of witnesses advocated prioritising investment in the production of arts and cultural experiences, over and above developing new arts venues, on the basis that- as the WLGA observed:

―arts and cultural activities can take place in places other than theatres, galleries and arts centres. School halls, village halls, leisure centres, even out on the street can all be suitable locations.‖86

109. Similarly, trac suggested that there is:

―neither the money nor the desire to have an opera house in every town nor do we believe that funding arts and cultural activity through venues is the most effective method of ensuring participation in and access to the arts in Wales across the whole of Wales.‖87

110. Indeed, Powys Arts Forum advocated structuring cultural provision around the needs of communities, rather than those of physical buildings.88 Similarly, TASC asked for more ―attention [to be paid] to the role of communities of interest in developing good programmes,‖89 while Theatr Felin Fach observed that:

―it‘s not bricks and mortar that are important, but the information, the skills and the opportunities which are available through these cultural services‖90

111. Notably, Cwmni Theatr Arad Gogh expressed concern that the emphasis previously paced on developing arts venues had inadvertently ―led to the downgrading and demise of community activities, which occur naturally and locally.‖91 Likewise, Bob Innes was concerned that a desire for large ‗arts venues‘ would ―be to the detriment of bringing the Arts and cultural activities to the people of Wales.‖92

86 CC(3) AC 66 87 CC(3) AC 39 88 CC(3) AC 44 89 CC(3) AC 81 90 CC(3) AC 50 91 CC(3) AC 63 92 CC(3) AC 77

37 112. Similarly, Voluntary Arts Wales suggested that in a time of limited funding, if the production of arts and cultural experiences was not prioritised over the development of new venues ―the danger is that you then will not have a product to put in them.‖93 Gwynedd Council also commented that building new venues would also lead to greater costs in the longer term, because such venues would need to be sustained.94

113. This is not to say that witnesses did not consider there to be some gaps remaining in the provision of arts venues across Wales, with Jon Gower noting that although ―the country is well provisioned with arts centres… there are still some obvious gaps in provision – Merthyr Tydfil is one such area.‖95 Indeed, a minority of witnesses suggested that investment in venues needed greater, rather than lesser, prioritisation, with the Theatres Trust expressing concern that:

―the biggest obstacle that exists to achieving the Welsh Government‘s commitment to access is the level of neglect that is evident in some of Wales‘s theatres and buildings used to present the performing arts‖96

114. Similarly, National Dance Theatre and Ty Cerdd noted that a lack of suitable, large venues meant that it was not possible for certain large organisations (such as National Dance Theatre, Welsh National Opera or the BBC) to provide performances in certain regions, with National Dance Theatre identifying ―Fishguard, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Anglesey, Harlech and Wrexham‖ 97 as areas where they could not currently perform.

115. Nevertheless, we agree with the view expressed by a majority of witnesses that the use of ‗community venues‘ (including- but not limited to- community centres, Welfare Halls, Development Trusts, Communities First Partnerships, Workingmen‘s and Social Clubs) for hosting and promoting arts and cultural experiences has great value.

116. We consider that the use of such ‗community venues‘ can potentially make transport and geography less of a barrier for people wishing to access a particular art or cultural experience, because such

93 RoP Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 29 94 CC(3) AC 74 95 CC(3) AC 52 96 CC(3) AC 60 97 CC(3) AC 62 and RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 47.

38 experiences may already be taking place within a person‘s local community. We also consider that the use of familiar ‗community venues‘ may help to break the perception that arts and cultural experiences are for an elite few. This is not to say that ‗purpose built‘ venues cannot also be part of a person‘s local community, but to recognise that there is a balance to be found between the use of ‗community venues‘ and ‗purpose-built‘ venues.

117. We believe that our first recommendation that the Welsh Government facilitate a sharing of good practice between organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences- should help to promote the use of ‗community venues‘ in delivering arts and cultural activities.

118. Having formed the conclusion that use of community venues should be promoted, we also considered existing expenditure in the development of new ‗purpose built‘ venues. We noted, for example, the WLGA‘s observation that ―43% of Welsh local authority arts funding is for venues,‖98 representing a significant proportion of local government expenditure on the arts. Clearly, existing venues designed for hosting arts and cultural experiences need to be maintained, and we recognise that the costs of such maintenance will vary, noting comments from Rubicon that:

―we are based in an area of Cardiff that is continually subject to crime and vandalism. We need sufficient resources to be able to manage this effectively and keep our provision high quality, whilst still working with young people who could also be at risk of offending.‖99

119. However, we also consider that expenditure in ‗new‘ venues could potentially be strategically realigned towards developing and producing arts and cultural programmes within communities, utilising existing community venues to host such. Notably, Ensemble commented that:

―significant support from County Councils has historically gone to supporting ‗bricks and mortar‘ including museums, venues and galleries with only limited support being available if at all for a diverse range of production companies such as orchestral

98 CC(3) AC 66 99 CC(3) AC 79

39 ensembles. Greater working on a regional level would be welcome combining limited resources to greater effect.‖100

120. Indeed, the Arts Council for Wales concurred that although:

―high quality, 'fit for purpose' facilities make it easier for organisations to offer a wider range of activities… it‘s no good to have a wonderfully refurbished building if there's not enough money to programme it.‖101

121. While the Minister for Heritage notably commented to us that:

―By using venues such as castles, stately homes or industrial buildings, and so on, we can not only enrich the experiences of young people, but also bring communities into those areas and give a sense of ownership over those places.‖102

122. We believe it is important that existing ‗fit for purpose‘ venues for arts and cultural experiences have adequate maintenance funding.

123. However, in the current economic climate, we do consider that the development of new, purpose-built venues for arts and cultural experiences is not a strategic priority across Wales. Rather, we consider that funding for new venues could be better utilised in developing arts and cultural activities within existing community-based venues.

124. We therefore consider that the evidence of our inquiry supports the Welsh Government‘s decision, in developing its draft budget for 2011-2012, to clearly prioritise the protection of revenue funding for the arts sector, over capital investment in new buildings and venues. Notably, capital investment within the arts sector has fallen significantly in the Welsh Government‘s draft budget for 2011-2012, from £1.09 million (in 2010-2011), to £0.46 million in 2011-2012. This represents a reduction of 57.8%, compared to a reduction of 3.0% in revenue funding for the arts sector.103

We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to prioritise supporting the development of arts and cultural experiences

100 CC(3) AC 07 101 CC(3) AWE 1 102 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 91 103 CC(3) 17 10, Evidence paper- Department for Heritage, Draft Budget Allocation for 2011-12

40 (including those taking place within ‘community venues’) over and above the development of new ‘purpose-built’ art venues.

125. We anticipate that the Welsh Government will also encourage other bodies involved in funding arts and cultural activities (such as local authorities) to similarly prioritise investment in the development of community-based arts and cultural activities, over and above the development of new purpose-built venues.

Their background: disposable income

126. A number of our witnesses suggested that a person‘s disposable income remained a significant factor in determining their ability to access arts and cultural activities. For example, Theatr Mwldan observed that:

―The cost of tickets to arts and cultural events prohibits those on lower incomes from attending as often as they might want to – or from attending at all. Add to that transport costs, childcare etc. and it‘s clear that many people do not attend arts and cultural events because they cannot afford to. And the presenters/promoters of those events (venues, arts centres) are not sufficiently well funded to be able to afford to provide those events at truly universally accessible ticket prices.‖104

127. Similarly, Creu Cymru were concerned that:

―The cost of a theatre visit is also a factor. Although many of the theatres and arts centres are creative in their offers of two for one, or pay what you like performances, they still have to achieve an income that covers the costs of the promotion and the staff and buildings. For the audience or participant, there are particular problems for those in rural areas where there is no public transport, and distances to ‗local‘ cultural centres are often greatest. Transport costs, as well the costs of a meal need to be factored in with the costs of the tickets to arrive at the real cost of the visit.‖105

104 CC(3) AC 17 105 CC(3) AC 24

41 128. However, the Arts Council of Wales challenged the assumption that cost was a significant barrier to accessing arts and cultural activities, commenting that:

―there are some very affordable opportunities out there for people to engage in the arts. For example, access to museums and galleries is free, so clearly cost is not an issue.‖106

129. Indeed, the National Museum of Wales gave clear evidence that its free entry policy:

―has had a dramatic impact on the numbers attending national museum sites across Wales. In particular, it has helped us to expand very significantly the numbers of people from socioeconomic groups C2, D and E. About a decade ago, around less than 0.25 million people from those groups attended the sites each year. That has gone up now to over 0.5 million in those categories; in other words, that is about one in three of all the visitors to the sites.‖107

130. The Minister for Heritage also noted the success of this policy, commenting that since it was introduced, the National Museum:

―has seen a doubling of visitor figures to 1.6 million a year since 2001 when it was introduced. Free admission has enabled people and families from all income groups to see the many treasures held by AC-NMW and to make repeat visits. The Museum‘s collections and exhibitions covering art, science, social and industrial history and the heritage of Wales have now been freely available to the public for their education and enjoyment for nine years. Over 12 million people have visited their national museum under the free entry regime, including two million formal learners and 1.75 million informal learners.‖108

131. Indeed, Rubicon noted that the free entry scheme had also had ‗knock-on‘ benefits, observing that:

―free entry to cultural venues and museums has supported a more varied understanding of culture for the young people we

106 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 23 107 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 109 108 CC(3) AC 43a

42 work with and has also enabled us to increase cross over links to other art forms – such as the visual arts, film and heritage.‖109

132. However, a number of our witnesses were concerned that free entry to National Museum sites:

―can be a barrier for other museums that still have to charge to survive - understandably the public do not distinguish between the different museums. The Welsh Assembly Government does not support free entry outside of the National Museum.‖110

133. Similarly, Amgueddfa Pontypool Museum was concerned that the free entry policy to National Museum sites:

―has been to the detriment of smaller institutions like ourselves, who cannot reclaim VAT unless we charge admission and following very poor and ill-explained media coverage, everyone seems to expect all museums and events to be free.‖111

134. Gwynedd Council also suggested that free entry to National Museum sites ―has been at the expense of some local attractions and venues, who state that it has affected their own visitor numbers.‖112 Powys County Council similarly reported that visitors to the county were often confused that they were being asked to pay (particularly as the Council had developed a policy of its own that enabled residents of the county to enter museum sites free of charge).113

135. Conversely, the National Museum of Wales considered that awareness of the free entry policy for National Museum sites needed to be increased, commenting that its research had found that:

―In the Cardiff area, 66 per cent of the population are aware of free entry, but, in the rest of Wales, only 44 per cent are aware. So, half the people of Wales are still not aware that access is free, so we need to get that message across. The last two or

109 CC(3) AC 79 110 CC(3) AC 27 (Federation of Museums and Arts Galleries of Wales) 111 CC(3) AC 18 112 CC(3) AC 74 113 CC(3) AC 51

43 three marketing campaigns that we have had over the past few years have reiterated the importance of free entry.‖114

136. We are concerned that some of the evidence of this inquiry appears to suggest that the free entry policy for National Museum sites may have had unintended consequences for other museums. We consider that our second recommendation which called for greater media coverage of arts and cultural experiences may help to address this issue. We have also considered greater partnership working between organisations in the 4th chapter of this report, and consider that this has particular relevance for museums. In the longer term we anticipate that visitors to National museums- attracted by its free entry policies- may be more likely to also visit local museums, particularly if museums actively seek to promote one another.

Their background: gender

137. A number of our witnesses noted that more women than men appeared to be accessing arts and cultural activities. Several witnesses highlighted work that they had undertaken to encourage more men to access and participate in arts and cultural activities. For example, Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias highlighted the value of ―male tutors… [acting as] role models‖115 for young males engaging in arts and cultural activities.

138. Similarly, Theatr Brycheiniog described how they had undertaken a:

―very successful workshop with Earthfall dance based around the New Zealand Haka that encouraged many men to dance in a way they had not before. ―116

139. However, Arts Connect and Clwyd Theatr Cymru both noted that some caution should be taken in considering this issue because:

―it is often the case that females are responsible for booking events for friends/family and so they may well be booking for their male partner/friends/other family member too.‖117

140. Likewise, Torch Theatre expressed concern that:

114 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee Meeting, 22 September 2010, Para 128 115 CC(3) AC 54 116 CC(3) AC 57 117 CC(3) AC 26

44 ―we could spend a lot of time, energy and money to try and counteract it but I don‘t really believe that things will change, neither do I think my wife will want to come with me to the pub on Sunday to see Liverpool play – that‘s life!‖118

Their background: disabilities

141. We were provided with several examples of good practice in enabling people with disabilities to access arts and cultural activities. For example, National Museum Wales described how:

―At Big Pit, we have the capacity to take people in wheelchairs down into the pits and ensure that they have the same experience as other visitors. It might seem that that would be the most inaccessible of all sites and facilities, but we have made a major effort to make that possible. We can also offer a tour for people who have aural impairments, and we are working with both the Royal National Institute for Deaf People and the Royal National Institute of Blind People to make our sites as accessible as possible.‖119

142. Similarly, Wales Millennium Centre reported that it had introduced a range of measures to make arts and cultural activities more accessible to people with disabilities, including:

―regularly provided assisted performances, including BSL, captioned and audio described performances with touch tours; introduced for 2010 guided tours for wheelchair users and visitors with visual impairment; made provision for 19 wheelchair spaces in the Donald Gordon Theatre, which is more than most UK theatres, a dedicated car park and first class facilities for disabled visitors (to date we have welcomed 25,000 wheelchair users, plus 25,000 theatre companions who attend free of charge).‖120

143. However, a number of our witnesses identified that people with disabilities often still found it significant more difficult to participate in, or access, arts and cultural activities. Disability Arts Wales praised the work that had been undertaken at strategic and legislative levels to improve accessibility, commenting that- as a result- ―high quality

118 CC(3) AC 09 119 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 148. 120 CC(3) AC 33

45 cultural experiences are certainly more widely available to disabled people in Wales.‖121 However, it also considered that:

―full accessibility for disabled people still has a long way to go… We are still struggling with old buildings which are largely inaccessible… some old theatres and galleries still only have partial (sometimes minimal) access for disabled people. Access for deaf people is piecemeal and tends to be expensive; captioned theatre is wonderful, but not widely available. There are few sign language interpreters trained to interpret in theatre. Hearing loops and infra-red systems benefit many hard of hearing people, but depend upon the venues maintaining them and switching them on!‖122

144. RNID Cymru concurred that there was still considerable room for improvement in making arts and cultural activities accessible for people with disabilities, commenting that in their research:

―nearly four fifths (79%) of people with hearing loss felt that being deaf or hard of hearing made it harder for them to take part in art, entertainment and leisure activities.‖123

145. RNID Cymru also considered that accessibility for people with disabilities was patchy, commenting that on a geographic basis, access is ―great in Cardiff… if you go to mid Wales you really struggle to find venues that are really accessible.‖124 It was also concerned that:

―there is a problem with sporadic theatre performances … the accessible performance is on a Thursday. They take that sort of approach to it, where it just pops up randomly, and people find that hard to track.‖125

146. Other witnesses, such as Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Bob Innes concurred that people with disabilities should expect to be able to access all forms of arts and cultural activities.126 The Minister agreed with this assessment, while recognising the practical limitation that

121 CC(3) AC 68 122 CC(3) AC 68 123 CC(3) AC 55 124 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 43 125 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 44 126 CC(3) AC 76 and CC(3) AC 77

46 ―many heritage sites, especially castles, can present access challenges. Cadw has for more than five years been engaged upon a programme of site access audits and subsequent works to improve access to sites, especially for visitors with disabilities.‖127

147. A number of ideas were suggested by witnesses that could potentially improve the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales for people with disabilities. For example, RNIB Cymru commented that organisations could place a greater focus on promoting services to help people with disabilities access arts and cultural activities, rather than just seeking to make services available if people asked for them. The RNIB commented that:

―Until we start to market far more effectively and strategically what is available and what people have a right to go to see, and people start to ask for it, it is very easy for an organisation to come back and say, ‗We have only ever had one person ask us…‘ What we do not want to see are 42,000 pages of equality impact assessment published. That is process. What we want to see is one side of paper that says, ‗Last year we did a piece of work and found out that blind and partially sighted people were not using our services. As a result of that we did a range of things. This year we are delighted to tell you that, for the first time, we have had 100 blind and partially sighted people come through the door‘. That is the kind of outcome stuff that we need to see published.‖128

148. Torch Theatre concurred that in addition to simply developing services, it was vital to be ―measuring our success – how many people with audio impairment actually come to our signed performances?‖129 Indeed, the RNIB considered that:

―There is a role for the Arts Council of Wales to be very specific and say, ‗If you want to receive public funding, you will need to be very clear about how you are making your services accessible‘. It should also be more than that because the question, ‗Can you provide audio description?‘ is the wrong question; it really should be, ‗How many people benefited from

127 CC(3) AC 43a 128 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 37 and Para 77 129 CC(3) AC 09

47 audio description, what was the uptake and what have you done to increase that uptake?... if public money is being spent, it needs to be spent in a way that promotes and supports accessibility.‖130

149. The RNID agreed that decisions about using public funding to support arts and cultural organisations should be linked to whether they were taking action to promote and provide services for people with disabilities, expressing concern that currently:

―one in seven people have hearing loss… the Welsh taxpayer is funding services that a seventh of the population does not have access to under any terms. That is just not a reasonable way for us to be delivering services‖131

150. Disability Arts Cymru concurred that funding decisions should be linked to examining whether organisations were seeking to be accessible for people with disabilities, and commented that:

―with the Equality Act 2010 that came in on 1 October, bringing all the various bits of anti-discrimination legislation together, I think that things are just going to get better. It means, for example, that when funding bodies are setting out the criteria under which organisations can apply for funding, accessibility has to be a part of that. It is another checkpoint.‖132

151. RNID Cymru recommended that as part of this process:

―new evaluation mechanisms need to be introduced. This is to ensure that, when questioned, venues and schemes are more descriptive in exactly how they are accessible e.g. whether they provide induction loops, staff trained in deaf awareness and so forth.‖133

152. RNIB Cymru concurred that training for staff was vital, commenting that they suspected, for example, ―that there is kit in libraries now that could be used but staff are probably not trained to use it.‖134 Similarly, RNID Cymru commented that:

130 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 74 131 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 13 132 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 135 133 CC(3) AC 55 RNID 134 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 48

48 ―the most obvious waste of money is someone buying a loop system and then failing to ensure that it works. No-one wins in that situation: the money has been spent, but no-one is benefiting from it.‖135

153. We consider that there is considerable merit in making accessibility for disabled people an explicit criterion in determining whether to fund particular arts and cultural experiences, as required by the Equality Act 2010. We believe such criteria should encompass considering how many disabled people have benefited from such services, whether staff are trained in providing services to people with disabilities, and whether information about services is promoted in an accessible fashion (for example in a range of formats for people with sight problems).

We recommend that the Welsh Government ensures that decision makers determining the public funding provided to particular arts and cultural experiences, effectively and thoroughly take into account the accessibility of such experiences for people with disabilities, and LGB people.

154. We have included a reference to LGB people in this recommendation, because we have considered the evidence related to the accessibility of arts and cultural experiences for LGB people in the following subsection.

155. Notably, RNID Cymru also recommended that an ―up-to-date list of accessible venues and schemes is made available to the public, a suggestion that the Arts Council have welcomed.‖136 On this issue, the Minister for Heritage also advised us that:

―One of the complaints made was that there is no complete audit of sites across Wales—this was mainly in reference to theatres, and so on—indicating the quality of provision for people with a hearing impairment. That is a weakness that must be addressed in the coming years.‖137

156. We welcome the Minister for Heritage‘s commitment to addressing this weakness, and recommend the value of an audit of

135 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 32 136 CC(3) AC 55 137 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 17

49 publically funded sites, examining whether such sites were appropriate for people with disabilities. We anticipate that such an audit would include sites funded by the Arts Council of Wales, local authorities, Cadw, the National Museum of Wales, the National Library of Wales and other sources of public funding.

We recommend that the Welsh Government ensures that an audit is taken of the accessibility of all publicly funded sites intended for the provision of arts and cultural experiences.

157. Notably, RNID Cymru and Disability Arts Wales also indicated that they had concerns about the:

―variation and quality of local authority cultural services and activities provided across Wales… there [are] no current standards for accessibility for arts and cultural activities across any of the local authorities, which could be a contributory factor to the variation in accessibility at each venue.‖138

158. We recognise this concern, and consider that a duty on local authorities to support arts and cultural experience would enable the development of minimum standards for the accessibility of arts and cultural activities for people with disabilities. This issue is considered further in chapter 3 of this report.

159. Notably, our witnesses also suggested several relatively simple steps that organisations could take to make arts and cultural activities more accessible. For example, the RNIB commented that large print could be utilised more frequently because:

―only 3 per cent of people use Braille, and we know that large print and audio are the formats that large numbers of people want to use.‖139

160. Similarly, Disability Arts Wales suggested that organisations could quickly identify good practice that was appropriate to them by taking

―look at those [organisations] led by disabled people, as that is usually where the best practice is.‖140

138 CC(3) AC 55 139 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 49 140 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 149

50 161. Evidence from the inquiry also illustrated that systems designed to enable people with disabilities to access services could sometimes break down, and needed to be maintained. For example, Disability Arts Cymru reported that:

―access for wheelchair users to the Nation Museum and Gallery in Cardiff is terrible. A wheelchair user has to be ‗let in‘ specially by a member of staff, through a gate (otherwise locked), along dark corridors cluttered with boxes and brooms, then up in a tiny lift. The whole thing has to be reversed when leaving.‖141

162. Responding to this specific concern, the National Museum of Wales explained that:

―That is what happens when our brand-new lift up to the front steps breaks down, which it did while it was still under warranty. We have a state-of-the-art lift up to the front door, which is only two or three years old, so the system referred to is what happens should that lift be out of action.‖142

163. We consider that our first recommendation, intended to facilitate good practice amongst organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences should assist in raising standards for their accessibility for people with disabilities.

Their background: sexuality

164. Stonewall Cymru expressed concern that there was little evidence ―that sexual orientation issues and portrayals of LGB characters have been significantly improved‖143 in arts and cultural experiences in Wales. Stonewall Cymru suggested that:

―facilitating the sharing of good practice examples… would assist other arts and cultural organisations to identify ways of ensuring that they are encouraging participation by LGB people and addressing barriers to participation, such as the lack of accurate portrayals of LGB people‖144

141 CC(3) AC 68 142 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 160 143 CC(3) AC 28 144 CC(3) AC 28

51 165. Stonewall Cymru also recommended that in making decisions about public funding for the arts and culture, the Arts Council of Wales, Local Authorities and Welsh Government should be:

―assessing whether organisations that are still to be funded do or can provide activities of relevance to LGB people and sexual orientation and the diversity of audiences, including LGB people‖145

166. We consider that our 4th recommendation- which recommended that accessibility of arts and cultural experiences for LGB people should be a criterion in funding decisions- should help to address these concerns.

Their background: age

167. As noted in our original call for written evidence, the Arts Council of Wales‘s 2008 Omnibus Survey suggested that younger adults were more likely to attend an arts event than older adults. However, this was not consistent with the experiences of most witnesses. Several witnesses concurred with the observation of Artes Mundi that:

―the inclusion of cinema as an arts event clearly influences the overall Omnibus Survey results disproportionately across the age ranges. For some individual art forms the variation is much less marked and for others it is reversed entirely. This suggests that there is not a single issue that can be addressed globally but a series of issues that relate to individual art forms and should be considered at that level.‖146

168. Notably however, the Arts Council of Wales 2010 survey found that respondents in a 16-24 age group:

―were more likely than others to attend arts events at least once a year (96% compared to 85%) with the majority of these respondents attending at least 2 or 3 times a year (91%). Given the ‗mainstream‘ popularity of the cinema and other live music, analysis of attendance was also undertaken excluding these art forms. 83% of respondents in this age group attended an arts event once a year or more excluding cinema and 73% excluding cinema and live music, which demonstrates the influence of

145 CC(3) AC 28 146 CC(3) AC 37

52 these activities on arts attendance amongst this age group. Participation was also higher amongst this group than amongst older respondents.‖147

169. The majority of evidence gathered in our inquiry appears to be at odds with both the 2008 and 2010 omnibus surveys of the arts council of Wales. Although this anomaly is notable, we concur with the comments of Artes Mundi that different art forms and types of cultural experiences will naturally lead to people of different age groups being more or less engaged in them. We consider that our first recommendation, intended to facilitate a sharing of good practice between organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences, may assist organisations in maximising the engagement of all age groups in their work.

Their background: Black, Minority and Ethnic groups participation in the arts and cultural experiences

170. A range of witnesses described to us the work they had undertaken to enable people from Black, Minority and Ethnic groups to participate and create arts and cultural activities. For example, Newport City Council commented that it had:

―worked with young BME people by enabling them to stage exhibitions about their culture and produce a range of learning materials for others, particularly school children to learn about diversity issues. There are going to be different participation rates by different community groupings. We have delivered a number of projects for young BME groups, but whether this work has turned participants into lifelong museum and gallery goers is a moot point. The important thing is to strive to remove any barriers to participation and not get over-focussed on targets for any specific group.‖148

171. Similarly, TAN Dance described how it had ―supported ethnic communities by giving them showcases and including them in our projects and productions,‖149 while ffotogallery‘s:

―work in primary and secondary schools in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan has involved participants speaking 56 different

147 Art in Wales 2010, Volume 3- Groups of Interest Report, page 6. 148 CC(3) AC 65 149 CC(3) AC 69

53 languages, with widely differing religious and cultural backgrounds.‖150

172. Indeed, the Wales Millennium Centre reported that it had a higher than representative level of engagement from BME groups, commenting that:

―the Centre attracts higher level of arts engagement from ethnic minorities. In the large scale customer survey of summer 2010, 6% of previous attendees at the Centre described themselves as coming from an ethnic minority. According to census data, within a 45 minute drive-time of the Centre, 3.3% of people are from an ethnic minority.‖151

173. However, the Arts Council of Wales considered that there was still room to improve its ability to address:

―the developmental needs of artists and audiences within the BME community. Very few of our regularly funded organisations are from the BME community, and some of our most interesting artists within those communities are struggling to get their work seen. What we are therefore proposing is placing a greater priority on investing in those artists, and trying to encourage venues and promoters to build partnerships with local artists. The work is there, and it is good work, but we are not seeing organisations take the breadth of vision, and perhaps, on occasion, take a risk with something that they are not familiar with, in respect of promotion and programming.‖152

174. We welcome the Arts Council of Wales‘ intention to increase its investment in BME artists, and encouraging venues and promoters to build partnerships with such artists. We also consider that our first recommendation, intended to promote a sharing of good practice amongst organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences, should assist in enabling organisations to encourage BME people to engage in their work.

150 CC(3) AC 36 151 CC(3) AC 33 152 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 38

54 3. The Arts Council for Wales’ investment review, and funding for arts and cultural activities in Wales

175. Funding for arts and cultural activities in Wales is derived from a wide range of public, private and voluntary sources. Decisions over the allocation of public funding for the arts are largely devolved by the Welsh Government to local authorities and Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales, National Library of Wales and National Museum Wales.153

176. In the current economic climate, witnesses were almost universally concerned about the ramifications for the arts and cultural activities if public funding for the arts decreased. Many noted that arts and cultural activities would not be accessible if they have closed due to lack of funding.

177. A significant number of our witnesses were also concerned about the consequences of Arts Council for Wales‘ recent Investment Review which- while not affecting the overall public expenditure on the arts in Wales- had strategically reprioritised such investment.

The process of the Arts Council for Wales’ Investment Review

178. Although the Committee‘s call for written evidence did not specifically invite observations about the Arts Council of Wales‘ investment review process, a significant number of witnesses commented on the process itself (as well as its consequences). These have therefore been summarised below, though we recognise that some witnesses may feel they were not offered the opportunity to provide comments on this issue.

179. The tone of such comments was very varied, ranging from some witnesses being very positive about the process through to others being very critical.

153 This is primarily true of the Department for Heritage, though other Welsh Government departments- such as the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, and the Department for Health and Social Services also have roles in providing funding for arts and cultural experiences.

55 The need for the investment review (in principle)

180. Most witnesses who commented on the origins of the review considered that in principle there had been a need for a strategic re- evaluation of funding to organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences. For example, Torch Theatre commented that:

―Funding was being spread too thinly and we were all suffering. Following the investment review (and subject to no further cuts in ACW grant), those companies who have survived will have a real opportunity to produce work of greater quality and have the resources to bring the work to a larger audience. It will make a great difference to The Torch Theatre. We supported the investment review and would‘ve supported it even if we‘d been cut; we could no longer continue to work at the level we wanted to work at, the level we are capable of working at, with the funding we had and therefore we would have rather seen the money go elsewhere, allowing another company to flourish, than continue as we were.‖154

181. Similarly, Wyeside Arts Centre (whose funding ceased as a result of the Investment Review) stated that

―We don‘t like the decision, but we accept that ACW was in effect told to rationalise its client list and that the review process was fair to Wyeside… the Investment Review was an inevitable consequence of WAG‘s standstill funding… The Arts Council is doing its best to manage the consequences of years of standstill funding etc., and their only option is to ensure that a healthier – and smaller – sector survives.‖155

182. This view was challenged by evidence from the Welsh Government that funding for the Arts Council of Wales had increased, commenting that its: ―grant-in-aid budget has increased significantly and consistently, from £14.6m [to £31.6 million in 2010-11].‖156 Nevertheless, there was a broad consensus amongst most witnesses157 that they recognised- in principle- ―the necessity of the Arts Council for

154 CC(3) AC 09 155 CC(3) AC 16 156 CC(3) AC 43a 157 Including the Welsh Government, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Rubicon, Creu Cymru the Oriel Davies Gallery, the Sengheydd youth drop in centre, Academi and Powys County Council

56 Wales Investment Review.‖158 Notably, the Arts Council of Wales commented that:

―the response to our consultations was clear. Spreading resources too thinly would be wasteful and inefficient. And an approach that delivered ‗equal misery to all‘ would be an abdication of the Arts Council‘s strategic responsibility.‖159

183. We consider that the evidence of our inquiry clearly suggests that there was a rationale and need for conducting the Investment review.

The Welsh Government’s strategic input into the Investment Review

184. A number of our witnesses expressed concerns that the Welsh Government:

– had not provided sufficient strategic input into the Arts Council of Wales‘ investment review; – and had not been sufficiently engaged in considering the implications of funding decisions that could have significant implications for various areas of Welsh Government policy. 185. For example, the Welsh Association of Performing Arts asserted that ―there does not seem to have been any debate at Assembly Government level about this.‖160

186. Notably, the Minister for Heritage concurred that ―the Welsh Government has a long-standing commitment to arms-length management of the arts,‖161 but stated that:

―I have been briefed on the Review‘s progress by the Chair and Chief Executive of ACW during our scheduled biannual, and other, meetings and given a broad indication of the changes they want to bring about.‖162

187. We also asked the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning whether the impact of withdrawing funds from organisations currently providing Theatre in Education was discussed with him or his

158 CC(3) AC 51 (Powys County Council) 159 CC(3)-12-10, Paper 2 160 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 97 161 CC(3) AC 43a 162 CC(3) 43a

57 department. Notably the Minister for Heritage had stated to the Committee that he had personally ―not discussed theatre in education with the Minister for education.‖163 However, the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning clarified in written correspondence that:

―The Review was considered at Cabinet on 21 June 2010 and this included discussion of the background to the Review and the process by which decisions had been made. Cabinet was also provided with an indication of outcomes, including plans to reduce the number of organisations supported by the Arts Council of Wales.‖164

188. We consider that the evidence of our inquiry suggests that the Welsh Government was informed of, rather than engaged in, the decision making process of the Arts Council of Wales. Given that this was the case, we consider that the Welsh Government should have provided explicit clarity on the desired strategic direction of the investment review.

189. We noted that the Arts Council of Wales remit letter for 2009/2010 referred in relation to the Investment Review to it being intended to bring ―the highest quality arts activity to audiences and participants across Wales.‖165 However, we are concerned that it did not explicitly mention that an objective of the investment review itself would be to increase participation and access.

190. In expressing this concern, we recognise comments from the Arts Council for Wales that:

―in the conversations that we have had with the Minister, he is very clear that access to the arts across Wales is as important as ensuring that the quality of what we are supporting is as high as it can be.‖166

191. We also recognise that the Minister stated to us that:

―In last year‘s remit letter to the arts council, I made specific reference to expanding access to and participation in the

163 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 77 164 CC(3) AWE 10 165 Arts Council of Wales remit letter for 2009/2010 166 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 36

58 highest quality arts, particularly in disadvantaged areas. There was a specific reference to that issue in last year‘s remit letter. This year, the letter includes a reference to creating opportunities for people who are not in education, employment or training.‖167

192. Indeed, we consider that in general terms the Welsh Government has clearly emphasised the priority it places on expanding access to arts and cultural activities.

193. Nevertheless, we are concerned that the Welsh Government did not clearly indicate that this was a specific strategic priority for the Investment Review itself. This is a particular concern to us, because the Welsh Government appears to have subsequently sought to ‗wash its hands‘ of the decisions made within the Investment Review, with the Minister for Heritage commenting that:

―I am not involved at all in the council‘s individual decisions, and… it is a matter for the council to justify those individual decisions‖168

194. We recognise the arms length principles underlying the Welsh Government‘s management of arts and cultural experiences in Wales. However, we do not believe it is appropriate for the Welsh Government to both distance itself from the Arts Council of Wales decisions, and to provide inadequate strategic input in the review‘s initiation.

195. We consider that there is an important strategic balance between enabling high quality arts and cultural experiences and expanding access to arts and cultural activities. We consider that the Welsh Government should take a lead responsibility for addressing criticisms that the review did not place sufficient emphasis on increasing accessibility to arts and cultural experiences (through consideration of the review‘s geographic implications for example), because this was not adequately addressed in the strategic guidance provided to the Arts Council of Wales.

We recommend that the Welsh Government accepts that it has an accountability, at a strategic level, for the funding decisions undertaken by Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies, such as

167 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 33 168 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 19

59 the Arts Council of Wales, and to ensure that the rationale for such decisions is as clear and transparent as possible.

The development of the investment review’s decision making process

196. Other witnesses considered that they had not been able to influence the development of the process for the investment review, with Voluntary Arts Wales noting that:

―In spite of the ACW consulting on every step of the process leading up to the Investment Review the overall feeling was one of isolation and powerlessness. Participants felt that the process had been designed to inform and enable but the reality was one of being swamped with information and feeling disabled… A number of organisations expressed a more cynical viewpoint, suggesting that the review had been a well choreographed process and a gradual stealth like process‖169

197. However, the WLGA asserted that:

―from our perspective, as we have indicated in the written evidence, the exercise seemed to be quite robust. There seemed to be an appropriate level of consultation. We were certainly involved in discussion with the arts council and had no complaint from our perspective‖170

198. While the Arts Council of Wales stated that:

―We have received widespread praise for the unprecedented level of detail provided to explain Council's decisions. In its editorial on 5 July 2010, the UK ArtsProfessional magazine wrote: "Funding bodies might want to take note of the way the Arts Council of Wales has conducted its investment review. This has been a thorough process, which for the first time so far as I am aware, has shown a UK funding body layout a bold and defined strategy and then measured organisations' work and value against it."171

169 CC(3) AC 85 170 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee 13 October 2010, Para 81 171 CC(3) AWE 07

60 199. Other witnesses also described the consultation process as ―thorough and transparent,‖172 providing ―clarity,‖173 and conducted in ―an open and transparent manner.‖174 The process was also praised for being ―professional‖175 with ―clear‖176 guidelines, guidance and rationale for decisions taken. Indeed, Professor Elan Closs Stephens commented that ―this is the first time that this work has been conducted in such a detailed and transparent fashion,‖177 while the Minister for Heritage stated that he had:

―no reason to believe that the process itself is deficient. I believe that four appeals have been made. I also believe that the arts council‘s independent auditors have stated that they are content with the process.‖178

The Arts Council of Wales consideration, during the Investment Review, of services users’ own experiences of arts and cultural activities

200. Several of our witnesses were concerned that the review had not taken sufficient account of the opinions of people attending arts and cultural activities in the course of the review. For example, Spectacle Theatre asserted in its written evidence that:

―We strongly believe the current mechanism employed by the Arts Council to assess artistic quality is not transparent and disenfranchises valleys communities… Schools and organisations regularly book our work and expressed very strong support for a continuation of the service. Yet the decisions made by a group of people who have not seen or experienced the work in its proper context, the valleys, choose to override these needs.‖179

201. In oral evidence, Spectacle Theatre also asserted that:

―what took place with the investment review was that the people who use the services of Spectacle Theatre, Gwent

172 CC(3) AC 57 (Theatr Brycheiniog) 173 CC(3) AC 62 (Welsh National Opera) 174 CC(3) AC 43a (Welsh Government) 175 CC(3) AC 06 (Carmarthenshire County Council) and CC(3) AC 35 (Mid Wales Opera) 176 CC(3) AC 50 (Theatr Felin Fach) and CC(3) AC 66 (WLGA) 177 CC(3) AC 59 178 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 21 179 CC(3) AC 56

61 Theatre and perhaps Powys Theatre were disenfranchised... having had the meeting with the arts council, the people who took the decision about our company‘s work and not to continue the funding of it, or to include us within the portfolio, are people who have not actually seen the work. I do not believe that the officers who have seen some of the work—it has been a very patchy connection over the years—have been listened to… A group of people in the arts council are making decisions, but what are those decisions based on?‖180

202. Similarly, Fishguard International Music Festival (FIMF) expressed concern that the Arts Council of Wales:

―refer to a ―level playing field‖ as the basis of their assessments for future funding. FIMF is not comfortable with this. We consider that no two fields are the same… we consider ACoW [Arts Council of Wales] should take the many and real location- dependent variations thoroughly into account in their assessments‖181

203. However, the Arts Council of Wales asserted that they had taken on board local perspectives, commenting that:

―We have a wide network of independent advisers who see and report on work. Our officers and the council see and attend arts events, and so are familiar with the range of activities that we support. We also talk to local authority arts officers to get their view on what is happening in the arts in Wales. We monitor independent reports and newspaper reviews on activity. All this information is brought together to inform our judgment of who is producing and developing the most interesting, engaging and compelling work.‖182

204. We welcome the range of actions undertaken by the Arts Council of Wales to gather local opinions on arts and cultural experiences. Indeed, we note that Spectacle Theatre asserted that in the majority of its funding decisions the Arts Council of Wales would ―take the viewpoints of those people [who use services] into consideration.‖183

180 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 October 2010, Paras 171 and 172 181 CC(3) AC 20 182 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 42 183 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 October 2010, Para 172

62 205. However, we are very concerned that in the Arts Council of Wales‘ decisions about funding for Theatre in Education they reportedly ―decided not to use that.‖184 We consider it imperative that local view- points, and the opinions of service users are taken into account in all funding decisions. We are therefore very disappointed that some of the evidence of our inquiry suggests that this did not take place in relation to the Arts Council of Wales decisions around funding for Theatre in Education.

Feedback provided by the Arts Council of Wales to organisations who were unsuccessful in applying for funding in the Investment Review

206. Another cause of concern to some witnesses was the quality of the feedback provided by the Arts Council of Wales to organisations that were having their funding discontinued. In particular, Gwent Theatre commented that:

―Our report was so positive you could easily have put at the end of it, ‗We therefore recommend that Gwent Theatre continue to be included in the revenue funding portfolio‘. Our chairman was astonished because he said, ‗You change that one sentence and the whole picture changes for Gwent‘… It was implied that our work was inconsistent so that there was a little question mark about quality. We pressed them on this and said quality has never been an issue with us. All our arts council reports have always been either good or excellent... We were told at the meeting that it was intuited. That is their word, not mine; I have not made that up. The decision to fund one company and not another was so fine you could have put a cigarette paper between it. So, we asked what the critical differences were that led to company A being funded and company B not, if it was that fine. We received no answers to that.‖185

207. Indeed, in subsequent evidence to the National Assembly for Wales Petitions Committee, Gwent Theatre asserted that:

―the decision to cut these three TiE companies remains a mystery. The minutes are non existent and subsequent

184 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 October 2010, Para 172 (Spectacle Theatre) 185 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 October 2010, Paras 168-169 and 187.

63 explanations from ACW officers have simply said that it came down to ‗fine judgements.‘ The absence of any guide to methodology and the absence of minutes of discussions leading to strategic decisions are serious flaws in the process.‖186

208. However, other witnesses indicated that they were satisfied with the feedback provided. A representative of Wrexham County Borough Council told the Committee that:

―we… accept the arguments as to why, at the present time, Oriel Wrecsam is not of the same status as Mostyn Gallery or the gallery in Newtown. We need to get to that status, so we can accept the arts council‘s reasoning in a situation where money is not as available as it once was. We have to accept that.‖187

209. Through written correspondence, we asked the Arts Council of Wales to provide a clear account of ―the rationale for not funding organisations providing Theatre in Education, such as Gwent Theatre and Spectacle Theatre.‖188

210. In response, the Arts Council of Wales explained that:

―Until now, the currently funded eight TiE companies have effectively carved up Wales between them. We believe that there would be benefits in encouraging a freer 'market', with a wider range of arts organisations (many of whom do excellent educational work) encouraged to work more widely across Wales... The five theatre companies… have the potential and flexibility to fulfil a wider role in providing high quality theatre to a broader audience…Nowhere have we said that the three unsuccessful TiE companies are 'bad' or are repeatedly performing poorly. However, we do believe that amongst the eight companies, some are more successful than others at consistently attaining the highest standards. In our judgement - and it is a matter of judgement - we are confident in our belief that the five organisations selected offer the best prospects of success in the future. We understand that Spectacle and Gwent

186 PET(3)-16-10, Paper 1 187 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 83 188 CC(3) AWE 07b

64 Theatre do not accept our judgement, but it remains our view.‖189

211. We consider that the Arts Council of Wales was explicit, in its document ‗Strive to Excel,‘ about the criteria upon which the success of organisations would be evaluated during the Investment Review. This document listed a wide range of criteria under 4 specific headings (The Creation of Art; Public Engagement; The Arts Economy and Growth; Governance, Management and Finance).

212. However, we consider that the evidence of our inquiry suggests that the feedback provided by the Arts Council of Wales, to at least some organisations having their funding discontinued, was not robust or clear about the rationale for their funding being discontinued.

213. In forming this conclusion, we recognise that the evidence of our inquiry did not include the business plans of the various organisations involved in the Investment Review, nor the assessment reports provided by the Arts Council of Wales to such organisations. We understand that the Arts Council of Wales had agreed with the organisations involved in the Investment Review process that it would not publish these documents, because of the confidential nature of the information contained.

214. We also recognise that the Arts Council of Wales is currently (delete in) consulting on its draft strategy ‗Changing Lives- Strategy for Children, Young People and the Arts,‘ which may have had a significant bearing in its decisions.

215. Nevertheless, going forward, we consider that in the future the Arts Council of Wales must ensure that every effort is made to provide robust, detailed feedback to organisations whose funding is reduced or discontinued in the future. We consider that such feedback must be able to explicitly justify the rationale behind funding decisions, to enable organisations which are unsuccessful in applying for funding to consider how they may develop their activities to meet the Arts Council of Wales‘ decision making criteria in the future.

189 CC(3) AWE 7

65 The inclusion of organisations without a history of revenue funding in the investment review

216. Finally, two witnesses (Welsh Sinfonia and Small World Theatre) expressed concerns that ―the process established by the Arts Council of Wales effectively excluded organisations that did not have a recent history of substantial funding agreements.‖190

217. However, we note the Arts Council of Wales paper ‗renewal and transformation‘ stated that some companies who had not previously had funding agreements (Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias, NoFit State Circus, Independent Ballet Wales, Theatr Ffynnon and Welsh Sinfonia) had joined its portfolio of revenue funded organisations.191

The impact of the arts council of Wales Investment Review

218. Our terms of reference for this inquiry specifically stated that we would examine ―the impact of the Arts Council for Wales‘s Investment Review, published in June 2010, on all cultural activities and venues in Wales.‖192 Witnesses expressed concerns to us about a number of potential consequences of the Investment Review, detailed below.

The geographic spread of arts and cultural activities across Wales

219. The Arts Council of Wales‘ paper ‗Assessment and Decision making‘ stated that one of the intentions of the investment review was to ―support a network of RFOs across the whole of Wales.‖193 The Welsh Government concurred in their written evidence that the Arts Council of Wales had:

―stressed that a great care was taken during their deliberations to ensure that there was, as far as possible, a balance of revenue clients representing each artform and geographical location.‖194

190 CC(3) AC 25 191 Arts Council of Wales, Renewal and Transformation, pages 28 and 33. 192 Communities and Culture Committee, Call for Written Evidence: Inquiry into the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales. 193 Arts Council of Wales, Investment Review: Assessment and Decision Making, December 2009. 194 CC(3) AC 43a

66 220. However, a large number of witnesses195 expressed concerns that the Investment Review‘s decisions had created significant geographic gaps across Wales in the provision of arts and cultural activities.

221. For example, Equity commented that ―the Eastern half of Wales, the Greater Gwent area and the Valleys will no longer have indigenous professional theatre provision,‖196 while Abergavenny and District Civic Society observed that ―the ACW Investment Review proposals will effectively remove access to theatre in the community across a large area of SE Wales.‖197

222. Similarly, the Wales Association for the Performing Arts questioned why ―a whole swathe across the east of Wales should now be deprived of theatre in education,‖198 while Powys County Council felt that ―mid Powys has taken a significant hit as… [a] result of the Investment Review.‖199 Jon Gower concurred with these observations, and commented that the Arts Council of Wales decision not to fund ―Gwent Theatre would leave a huge gap in arts provision to the south east just as Theatr Powys would in mid Wales.‖200 Gwent Theatre also commented that:

―The loss of Spectacle Theatre in RCT, Theatr Powys and Gwent Theatre will mean that a huge swathe of South East Wales will have scant theatre and arts provision for young people and it is improbable that people living in these communities will be able to afford to travel to Cardiff or other centres to enjoy the arts having neither the finance or social mobility and in the case of the large rural county of Powys both finance and geography will be a limiting factor to access.‖201

195 Including: Audiences Wales, National Theatre Wales, Abergavenny and District Civic Society, Ensemble Cymru, Sybil Coch, Wyeside Arts Centre, Powys Dance, the Wales Association for the Performing Arts, Theatr Bara Caws, Glasbury Arts, Theatr Felin Fach, Powys County Council, Jon Gower, Equity, TAN Dance, The Circuit, Dr DJ Naylor, Cwmni‘r Fran Wen, Gwynedd Council, Gwent Theatre, Voluntary Arts Wales, Spectacle Theatre 196 CC(3) AC 58. 197 CC(3) 12 13 198 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 99 199 CC(3) AC 51 200 CC(3) AC 53 201 CC(3) AC 82

67 223. Likewise, Gwynedd Council considered that ―the effects of the review on Theatr Harlech and companies such as Hijinks will have an impact on the provision of performing arts in Gwynedd.‖202

224. We consider that the evidence of our inquiry suggests that there was insufficient consideration of the geographic implications of the investment review. In forming this conclusion, we note for example, that none of our witnesses indicated that they were aware of funding being discontinued or continued because the Arts Council of Wales considered a particular geographic area to be saturated or underprovided with arts and cultural experience opportunities.

225. We recognise that a balance needed to be struck between considering the applications of individual organisations on a case-by- case basis, and considering them in a broader strategic geographic context. However, we also consider that insufficient strategic consideration appears to have been given to the broader, geographic implications of individual funding decisions, with particularly concerning consequences for certain areas already suffering from economic deprivation. We consider that this may be indebted to the lack of strategic input provided by the Welsh Government into the Investment Review on the importance of increasing accessibility.

226. Indeed, we note that the Arts Council of Wales appeared to recognise that the Investment Review had potentially created at least temporary geographic gaps in provision, commenting that it had to:

―accept the risk that areas previously served by companies such as Spectacle and Gwent Theatre could see a reduction in activity in the short term, which is why these areas will be a priority for future development.‖203

227. We are concerned that withdrawing funding for organisations, and then newly funding different organisations in a particular geographic area in order to ‗fill the gaps‘ left by the investment review, is not a sustainable or efficient approach.

228. We have also noted the Arts Council of Wales‘ assurances, (reported by TAN dance) that ―geographical gaps in provision will be filled by ACW inviting neighbouring organisations to widen their

202 CC(3) AC 74 203 CC(3) AWE 07

68 remit.‖204 However, we are concerned that in a time of limited financial resources such organisations may not be well-equipped to widen their remits.

229. Nevertheless, in broad terms, we welcome the proactive intention of the Arts Council of Wales to identify geographic areas with limited provision of arts and cultural experiences, and prioritise them for future development. We consider that the Investment Review should not have created such gaps in the first place, but are pleased that the Arts Council is seeking to address this issue.

230. Notably, a number of witnesses suggested that the Welsh Government could also have a role in such work, given that the Arts Council of Wales was not the only provider of funds for arts and cultural experiences. For example, the Theatres Trust recommended that:

―the Welsh Government takes a lead on identifying those geographical areas where local people are unable to access the Arts Council Wales‘ funded RFO venues by public transport, and consider how a network of venues can be secured that is properly maintained and able to present work with stage and audience facilities that are fit for purpose… this will require a commitment to working with local authorities who are largely responsible for the maintenance and care of many of these venues.‖205

231. Similarly, Audiences Wales considered that:

―it would be useful to undertake a detailed research programme and mapping exercise to assess current provision, including a definition of what the Welsh Assembly Government and Arts Council of Wales would regard as reasonable travel time for anyone in Wales to reach arts activities.‖206

232. Professor Elan Closs Stephens asserted that the Welsh Government should:

204 CC(3) AC 69 205 CC(3) AC 60 206 CC(3) AC 40

69 ―draw local government into any discussions on cultural and economic regeneration, in an effort to capture the geographic picture in its entirety.‖207

233. While Voluntary Arts Wales stated that they were:

―recommending that the ACW be requested to undertake a baseline mapping exercise by local authority area, of opportunities to actively take part in the arts in Wales and to assess the impact of the cuts that they are implementing. This should take place in consultation with the sector and in partnership with NALGAO Wales and the WLGA.‖208

234. Given the wide variety of partners involved in supporting arts and cultural experiences in Wales, we concur that it would be appropriate for the Welsh Government to strategically co-ordinate the identification of geographic areas in Wales with limited access to arts and cultural experiences.

We recommend that the Welsh Government works with partners to enable the identification of geographic areas in Wales where people have particularly limited access to arts and cultural experiences. Following this work, we anticipate that the Welsh Government would then encourage partners to strategically utilise such information to develop increased access to arts and cultural activities in areas where people have particularly limited access to arts and cultural activities.

235. We anticipate that this work would in particular include an examination of the geographic areas where funding from the Arts Council of Wales has been discontinued as a result of the Investment Review.

236. We anticipate that the Welsh Government would primarily work with partners including local authorities, the Arts Council of Wales, Cadw, Cymal, the National Museum of Wales to achieve this recommendation.

207 CC(3) AC 59 208 CC(3) AWE 09

70 237. In implementing this recommendation we also anticipate that the Welsh Government would consider in particular whether arts and cultural experiences were accessible via public transport.

Children, Young People and the Arts

238. A range of witnesses also expressed concerns about the potential impacts of the Investment Review on young people‘s ability to access the arts as part of their education. The Arts and Design curriculum for schools in Wales currently states that:

―Learners aged 7-14 should be given opportunities to develop and apply knowledge and understanding of the cultural, economic, environmental, historical and linguistic characteristics of Wales. Learners aged 14-19 should have opportunities for active engagement in understanding the political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of Wales as part of the world as a whole.‖209

239. However, a significant number of witnesses210 considered that the Investment Review‘s removal of financial support from a range of organisations could ―lead to a serious decrease in opportunities – especially young people – to participate in the arts.‖211 Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru observed that:

―The decision not to fund 3 of the companies that provide theatre in education in Powys, the south Wales Valleys and Gwent means that the children and young people of those areas will be deprived of free access to the arts on their doorsteps.‖212

240. Similarly, Equity called the Arts Council of Wales‘ decision to abandon its previous Theatre in Education strategy ―disastrous,‖213 while NATD ―condemns‖214 the decision.

209 Arts and Design Curriculum for schools in Wales 210 Including Sybil Coch, Wales Association for the Performing Arts, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, Spectacle Theatre, Equity, Cwmni Theatr Arad Gogh, Gwent Theatre, Theatr Powys, 211 CC(3) AC 14 212 CC(3) AC 41 213 CC(3) AC 58 214 CC(3) AWE 2

71 241. Indeed, the Arts Council for Wales acknowledged that it no longer considered its previous commitment of enabling every child in Wales to have a theatre in education experience at each of the four key stages of education to be deliverable.215 Instead, the Arts Council stated that it was now seeking to develop a Children, Young People and the Arts strategy, working with:

―our partners in national and local government, WJEC, Estyn and the Children‘s Commissioner – in taking a detailed and careful look at the health of the arts for our young people, examining how young people experience the arts in and out of formal education.‖216

242. Arts Connect concurred that:

―the loss of some of the Theatre in Education provision and funding for certain dance provision will need to be addressed including through the production of the new ACW Youth Arts Strategy for Wales, which has yet to be produced.‖217

243. Notably, several bodies who had had their funding cut as result of the Investment Review considered that they could be used as tools in implementing a new strategy for children and young people, with Theatr Powys asserting that:

―every single idea and objective within ACW‘s new consultative document ‗Changing Lives: Arts Council of Wales Strategy for Children, Young People and the Arts‘ is currently being met by Theatr Powys. Surely the consultation for this new strategy should have taken place prior to the Investment Review and the subsequent withdrawal of future revenue funding from three of the eight TIE/TYP companies in Wales, namely Theatr Powys, Gwent Theatre and Spectacle.‖218

244. Similarly, Spectacle Theatre recommended that:

215 Several witnesses had understood that this was also a Welsh Government policy commitment. Although the Arts Council of Wales commitment on Theatre in Education was endorsed by Welsh Government Ministers in 2002, it does not feature in the existing Welsh Government‘s One Wales commitments. 216 CC(3) 12 10 Paper 2. 217 CC(3) AC 26 218 CC(3) AC 80

72 ―the decisions reached about the future of theatre in education provision for young people in Wales need to be put on hold until the outcome of the Arts and Young peoples strategy discussion with the Welsh Assembly Government is known.‖219

245. Notably, a number of witnesses were positive about shifting the Arts Council of Wales focus from theatre in education to enabling a broader participation in the arts as part of children and young people‘s education. The Arts Council of Wales commented that:

―The council felt that an engagement between arts and young people that was somehow predicated on a single art form, with occasional visits to some but not all schools across the country, was not the best strategy to pursue, under the circumstances.‖220

246. The WLGA concurred that:

―It is important that we look at all the different art forms for provision in schools and try to provide experiences of all art forms for children and young people. Theatre in education is one aspect, but we want to look at more than just theatre as opportunities for children and young people to participate in culture and arts‖221

247. While the Minister for Heritage observed that:

―theatre in education is a peculiar animal in one sense, in that only half our local authorities deem it important enough to give it any financial support. That then begs the question of how important they regard it within the field of education… Perhaps we should not get too hung up on the idea that theatre in education is the only way to engage the interest of young people, or that theatre in education always provides interesting and challenging material. Excellent work is being done by many theatre in education groups, but I suggest that this is not the only answer. I am sure that the arts council will bring forward ideas in the coming months and years.‖222

219 CC(3) AC 56 220 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 40 221 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 124 222 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 77

73 248. Torch Theatre‘s evidence also implied that demand from schools for arts and cultural activities for their pupils to engage in did not appear to be obviously in danger of outstripping supply, with the theatre commenting that:

―Senior schools are only interested in coming if it‘s a text that is actually on the syllabus; the fact that they‘re studying Drama and therefore any production would provide a stimulus for discussion doesn‘t seem to matter, the organisation of a trip with all its risk assessments etc. all seems too much for them to contemplate.‖223

249. Other witnesses noted alternative ways of providing access to the arts as part of children and young people‘s education. For example, the National Museum of Wales commented that its:

―formal education programme is the best known part of its work. It is the Wales‘ largest provider of learning outside the classroom and currently attracts over 230,000 visits from school pupils and college students each year with many more schools utilising new curriculum resources developed by the Museum‘s Learning department.‖224

250. While Committee Member Joyce Watson AM observed that she had:

―seen an excellent example of using the Welsh baccalaureate creatively in Ysgol Ardudwy in Harlech, which worked with Arriva Trains Wales and transformed the station, involving young people in art. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Minister, can we not use the wheels that we already have on the wagon? The Welsh baccalaureate might be a real opportunity, as has been demonstrated in Harlech, to present a real invitation and an opportunity to young people to use the arts in their communities alongside others.‖225

251. Indeed, the Arts Council of Wales stated that by December 2010 it would ―have involved 6,000 young people in participatory arts activity,

223 CC(3) AC 09 224 CC(3) AC 47 225 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 88

74 and have trained over 550 people to work with young people who are identified as at risk.‖226

252. We consider there to be considerable merit in the broad principles underlying the Arts Council of Wales intention to move from a Theatre in Education strategy, to a broader strategy for ‗Children, Young People and the Arts.‘ We concur with the Arts Council of Wales‘ assessment that it would be appropriate to try to provide experiences of different art forms for children and young people.

253. However, we believe this new strategy has significant ramifications for bodies involved in delivering Theatre in Education. As such, we consider that it would have been considerably more appropriate for the Arts Council to have consulted on, and finalised, a new strategy for ‗Children, Young People and the Arts‘ before making decisions on funding for organisations delivering Theatre in Education. Indeed, we consider that organisations involved in delivering Theatre in Education could have thereby usefully tailored their business plans to more accurately seek to meet the needs of the new strategy.

254. We have noted the calls from a number of witnesses to place the decisions of the Investment Review on hold until after the finalisation of the Arts Council of Wales‘ strategy for children, young people and the arts. Unfortunately, we are also conscious that this would prolong uncertainty within the arts sector, when a number of our witnesses specifically stated that such insecurity needed to end.227

255. We also note that the National Assembly for Wales‘ Petitions Committee is currently considering petitions submitted by individual organisations involved in delivering Theatre in Education who have had their funding discontinued. We look forward to the Petitions Committee‘s consideration of these individual organisations‘ petitions.

256. We also consider the finalisation of ‗Changing Lives- Strategy for Children, Young People and the Arts‘ to be an urgent priority for the Arts Council of Wales. We welcome the fact that- after we had finished taking evidence in this inquiry- the Arts Council launched a consultation on ‗Changing Lives- Strategy for Children, Young People

226 CC(3) 12 10 Paper 2 227 For example, The Circuit commented that ―If these are the decisions which needed to be made then there are some we would dispute but so be it. Let this be an end.‖ CC(3) AC 71.

75 and the Arts.‘ We anticipate that such a strategy will provide greater clarity on the future of arts in education.

We recommend that the Arts Council of Wales continues to prioritise the finalisation of its strategy for Children, Young People and the Arts as urgent.

People with disabilities

257. Several of our witnesses expressed concerns that the Investment Review could have a negative impact on people with disabilities. For example, RNID Cymru were concerned that:

―a reduction to funding to arts groups in Wales will restrict their ability to deliver accessible services to people with hearing loss in Wales… we have fears that a cut in funding will reduce the capacity of groups and activities further to make themselves accessible.‖228

258. Similarly, People First Limited were worried that ―some of the venues may not be suitable for disabled people if there are cuts,‖229 while Disability Arts Cymru commented that:

―if the cuts result in cuts to projects on the ground, it is hard to see how this will not have an impact upon accessibility at local level, especially when those organisations are finding new ways to survive… Some of this will undoubtedly impact upon disabled people who are already hugely disadvantaged in our society.‖230

259. However, the Arts Council of Wales stated that the Investment Review would not have a negative impact on people with disabilities because:

―The recommendations include the continuation of funding for two organisations who specialise in working in the fields of arts and disability/disability arts. In addition, an additional organisation – working with people with learning difficulties –

228 CC(3) AC 55 229 CC(3) AC 67 230 CC(3) AC 68

76 has been added as a new potential member of the revenue funded portfolio.‖231

260. We have noted the concerns of several witnesses that the investment review could have a negative impact on the accessibility of arts and cultural experiences for people with disabilities. However, we consider that it could equally be argued that the Investment Review‘s redistribution of funding will enable those organisations funded by the Arts Council of Wales in the future to make their services more accessible for people with disabilities. We also believe our 4th recommendation- that the accessibility of arts and cultural experiences for disabled people becomes a criterion for funding decisions- will help to allay these concerns.

Umbrella/Voluntary organisations

261. Several witnesses identified that the Investment Review had created ―structural gaps with the discontinuation of the development agencies who work universally, through economies of scale, to support artists and arts organisations, and audiences, across Wales.‖232 Voluntary Arts Wales commented that:

―in these particularly challenging times for many small groups in communities across Wales, it would be more appropriate to focus public funding for the arts on strengthening and consolidating these [umbrella] groups, through providing enhanced infrastructure support. These groups and organisations are the lifeblood of many areas and key to ensuring community cohesion and active citizenship, whilst also providing the roots from which many professional artists and creative businesses grow.‖233

262. Voluntary Arts Wales also asked:

―how can the ACW justify funding the ―top‖ of the pyramid whilst ignoring its foundations? It is well recognised that different parts of the arts sector intertwine and feed each other – the voluntary/community arts sector is often a breeding

231 Arts Council of Wales, Equality Impact Screening and Assessment. 232 CC(3) AC 40 233 CC(3) AC 85

77 ground from which professional artists and arts organisations grow.‖234

263. Similarly, TAN dance emphasised the value of having a background infrastructure in their sector, commenting that while they were:

―extremely concerned at the withdrawal of funding from Community Dance Wales who have supported our sector admirably but heartened to hear that a new model is being discussed to take over some of CDWs remit. This is an essential part of the infrastructure of a sector that provides very high participation numbers for relatively low financial support.‖235

264. However, other witnesses were supportive of prioritising front line services over and above the work of umbrella organisations, with a representative of Wrexham County Council commented that he did:

―not see much benefit coming from the umbrella bodies, to be truthful, and they would rather the money went to the product, to the front end, as opposed to being absorbed in an extra middle ground.‖236

265. The Minister for Heritage agreed that:

―in general, given the state of public finances at the moment, I would support that in principle. Again, I am not making any comment on individual decisions, but putting money to the front line is important.‖237

266. We concur with the Minister‘s assessment that ensuring that front line services are adequately funded is important. However, we also recognise the important function provided by umbrella bodies in providing infrastructure for the arts sector. In our 4th chapter, we have considered how individual organisations can work in partnership to assist and support each other more effectively, particularly in the absence of such umbrella bodies.

234 CC(3) AWE 9 235 CC(3) AC 69 236 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 83 237 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 40

78 Enabling the development and emergence of new artists and institutions

267. Several witnesses considered that the Investment Review would enable the emergence of new artists and institutions. For example, one witness stated that:

―The discontinuation of funding will obviously have a major effect on those 32 organisations – however, many of them are dinosaur companies who have simply not moved with the times. Perhaps the ACW‘s funding review will ensure that newer, smaller companies will be given a chance to prove just how flexible they can be in the future.‖238

268. Similarly, National Theatre Wales suggested that:

―The Investment Review should be celebrated for heralding a clear ambitious vision for cultural life in Wales – a joined-up, world class, mutually supporting and sustainable environment where emerging artists and major institutions can be resourced and inspired to deliver the people of Wales their best work.‖239

269. We welcome the potential of the Investment Review to enable the emergence of new artists and organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences.

Other possible consequences of the Investment Review

270. A variety of other potential consequences of the Investment Review were also mooted by witnesses. The Wales Association for the Performing Arts expressed concerns about the impact of the Investment Review on the provision of arts and culture in the medium of Welsh. They commented that the closure of Theatr Harlech meant that they had ―strong concerns in the Welsh sector as there is no provision in the north-west at the moment.‖240

271. The Welsh Association for the Performing Arts and Equity also expressed concerns that the geographic gaps in provision- which they considered the investment review to have created- would lead to:

238 CC(3) AC 48 239 CC(3) AC 49 240 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 106

79 ―a deluge of companies into Wales that are low quality and that will probably not pay people properly, because they are available in England and they will seize their opportunity to work in Wales.‖241

272. Equity and Voluntary Arts Wales also expressed concerns that the investment review‘s decisions would be a catalyst for local authorities to withdraw funds, commenting that:

―in some cases local authorities are withdrawing support on the back of the ACW withdrawal of funding. Local authorities are not in a position, or in many cases interested, in picking up the shortfall in funding.‖242

Efficiency savings within the Arts Council of Wales

273. Two witnesses also suggested that the Investment Review should also have further examined whether the Arts Council of Wales itself could deliver efficiency savings within its own administrative processes. Amgueddfa Pontypool Museum commented that ―there are several areas of wastage of money within the Arts Council (e.g. 3 sets of offices is rather overkill) itself as well as what they fund.‖243 Similarly, Bob Innes commented that ―public funding for the arts is… not to fund what I think is unnecessary offices.‖244

274. We consider that in light of the need to realise savings in the current economic climate it is appropriate to ask the Arts Council of Wales to realise efficiency savings within its administrative processes. We therefore support the Minister for Heritage‘s comments, when presenting the Welsh Government‘s draft budget, that although:

―Arts Council funding will fall by 4.6 per cent in cash terms from the current baseline… the administration of the Arts Council will take a 12-per-cent hit.‖245

241 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 101 242 CC(3) AC 85 243 CC(3) AC 18 244 CC(3) AC 77 245 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 24 November 2010, Para 240

80 Variation in existing local authority funding for arts and cultural activities

275. As noted earlier, funding for arts and cultural activities in Wales (including heritage activities) is derived from a wide range of sources. While our witnesses were concerned about the implications of the Arts Council of Wales‘ investment review, a range of witnesses also highlighted significant on-going variations in different local authorities funding to the arts. The Sengheydd Youth drop in centre summarised that ―some Councils offer lots others very little,‖246 while Audiences Wales observed that although:

―Local Authority funding cross Wales is understood to be greater than the total ACW revenue spend, it is distributed inconsistently… individual local authorities‘ commitment to the arts and the resources available to them varies enormously.‖247

276. Most witnesses considered that this variation was indebted to the fact that ―local authorities do not have a mandatory responsibility for Arts provision.‖248 This was not so say that some local authorities were not praised for their engagement with the arts, with Glasbury Arts commenting that Powys County Council had:

―a brilliant Arts Officer, Lucy Bevan, who manages to be enthusiastic and supportive to organisations like ours, a fount of information, and wonderful at encouraging new artists.‖249

277. Rather, many witnesses considered that the degree to which a local authority engaged with the arts would be dependent on an individual local authority, rather than due to any overarching consistency. Theatr Brycheiniog praised Powys County Council‘s engagement in the arts, but commented that:

―until arts provision is statutory, it will always remain vulnerable within local authorities. As a client of ACW and PCC, I would like the annual uncertainties of local government spending rounds to be removed. Let‘s put core arts provision at the heart of Local Authority remits and make it statutory.‖250

246 CC(3) AC 02 247 CC(3) AC 40 248 CC(3) AC 29 (Clwyd Theatr Cymru) 249 CC(3) AC 45 250 CC(3) AC 57

81 278. Indeed the Minister for Heritage observed that:

―what is offered varies greatly according to area, and perhaps that variation is unnacceptable. We now have powers, under the National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Culture and other fields) Order 2009, to create some kind of duty on local authorities. I am not sure that those local authorities would appreciate that in the current financial climate... it is important that we get greater consistency without tying the hands of local authorities excessively.‖251

279. However, the Federation of Museums and Arts Galleries of Wales considered that:

―It is essential that the Cultural LCO is taken forward as a matter of urgency to give a degree of protection to all cultural services – otherwise they could be the subject of disproportionate cuts.‖252

280. Similarly, Equity stated it was ―disappointed‖253 that a measure had not already been taken forward, while Cwmni‘r Frân Wen commented that it was ―deplorable that no Assembly Measure has been introduced to place a statutory requirement on local authorities to promote the arts.‖254

281. Gwynedd Council observed that: ―every county must respond to local demands and needs and it is not considered that the same service is necessarily applicable to all counties.‖255 However, the Arts Council of Wales asserted that while:

―We're very sensitive to the significant pressures being faced by local authorities and are wary of adding to their already significant workloads… we believe that the scale and range of arts activity supported through local authorities strengthens the case for a Cultural Duty.‖256

282. Moreover, several witnesses suggested that there was currently limited clarity over exactly how much money some local authorities

251 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 81 252 CC(3) AC 27 253 CC(3) AC 58 254 CC(3) AC 73 255 CC(3) AC 74 256 CC(3) AWE 1

82 were actually spending on arts and cultural activities. Jon Gower noted that:

―the picture of activity in Wales is incomplete, with some LAs failing to supply figures to the Arts Council. In the Local Authorities Arts Expenditure Survey 2008-2009 only 17 out of 22 LAs responded, which means the picture of commitment and spend is incomplete. It is even more worrying that as I understand it one Welsh LA does not even have a strategy for the arts. It is impossible to take a pan Wales view of arts provision or plan for the future without such basic data.‖257

283. Rubicon concurred with this assessment, calling for ―greater transparency,‖258 and the Minister for Heritage acknowledged that the Welsh Government:

―do not know the full contribution of local government, for example. What we do know is that expenditure is very unevenly spread throughout Wales. One council spends £70,000 a year and another spends £7 million, and those differences are staggering, to tell the truth.‖259

284. Notably, Aberystwyth Arts Centre suggested that ―some benchmarking of what should be considered to be an appropriate level of support for the arts would be very valuable.‖260 We concur with these comments, and consider that a duty on local authorities to support arts and cultural experiences would entail a requirement for all local authorities to provide a clear account of their existing expenditure on arts and cultural experiences, and the intended outcomes of such expenditure. We also anticipate that this would entail minimum standards for the accessibility of arts and cultural activities for people with disabilities.

We recommend that the Welsh Government brings forward a measure to place a statutory duty on local authorities to support arts and cultural experiences in their local areas.

257 CC(3) AC 52 258 CC(3) AC 79 259 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 61 260 CC(3) AC 76

83 Concerns around future funding for the arts and cultural activities in Wales

285. Bearing in mind the uncertain economic climate, a range of witnesses also expressed concerns around the possibility of future cuts in levels of public expenditure for the arts. For example, the Arts Council of Wales commented that ―if we have to face the prospect of further cuts, then we will lose the support of the arts sector that has gone with us,‖261 while Mid Wales Opera commented that:

―It would be a tragedy if the Welsh Government were to use the fact that ACW has created ―headroom‖ within its RFO portfolio to allow modest increases where fully justified as a reason for imposing larger cuts.‖262

286. Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre agreed that ―If the ACW have to revisit its RFO list and make further reductions, it brings into question the underlying premise of the review.‖263 Similarly, Theatr Brycheiniog considered that:

―To reduce funding now would effectively ―pull the rug‖ from under the feet of ACW when they have acted openly and responsibly to secure a strategic future for the arts in Wales.‖264

287. Other witnesses emphasised that there was simply no room left for revenue funded organisations to make further efficiency savings. For example, Powys County Council observed that ―there is a critical point below which smaller organisations in particular have nowhere left to make efficiency savings.‖265 Similarly, the Oriel Davies Gallery observed that:

―the situation is now such that there is no more fat left on the bone. If for example Oriel Davies had to continue to remain on standstill or even have a cut to its funding this would seriously impact upon its services.‖266

261 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 53 262 CC(3) AC 35 263 CC(3) AC 38 264 CC(3) AC 57 265 CC(3) AC 51 266 CC(3) AC 70

84 288. An alternative concern from other witnesses, such as Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru,267 was that cuts in public funding for the arts would have negative repercussions for the wider Welsh economy. National Theatre Wales, for example, commented that the:

―social and economic benefits of a vibrant arts culture are statistically and empirically proven, and the biggest losers in stifling cultural activity are the people of Wales.‖268

289. Similarly, the Welsh National Opera stated that:

―in comparison to the rest of Assembly Government expenditure, the arts budget is a tiny proportion. Yet a 10% or even 20% cut to ACW cannot offer anything meaningful in redistribution to other departments such as health, education or social justice. However, in terms of its effect on the range, scale, quality and accessibility of arts provision in Wales, it could be catastrophic.‖269

290. Given these concerns, we were therefore pleased that the Minister for Heritage stated that funding for the arts sector would be limited to

―fall by 4.6 per cent in cash terms from the current baseline… [and that] front-line services over the three years will be affected by around 4 per cent.‖270

291. Notably, this has led the Arts Council of Wales to state that in combination with the decisions of the Investment Review this will ―enable it to increase funds to many of the 71 organisations it supports.‖271

292. We consider that it is appropriate that the Welsh Government has sought to provide sufficient funding to sustain a strong arts sector via the Arts Council of Wales. While any form of funding loss is difficult to manage, we also consider it appropriate that the Minister outlined that the administration of the Arts Council itself would bear a significant proportion of the 4.6 per cent funding loss over 3 years.

267 CC(3) AC 41 268 CC(3) AC 49 269 CC(3) AC 62 270 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 24 November 2010, Para 94 271 BBC News, Arts Council ‗relief‘ as funding revealed, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12003851

85 We recommend that the Welsh Government has dialogue with the Arts Council of Wales to ensure that reductions in funding for its revenue funded clients are limited to around 4% over a three year period from 2011-2012, as set out by the Minister for Heritage.

293. Several of our witnesses also suggested cuts in public funding for the delivery of arts and cultural activities in Wales could be timed to coincide with the reintroduction (and increase) of lottery funding for the arts in Wales, following the 2012 Olympic games. For example, Equity noted that they were:

―looking to the Lottery to restore some stability in funding. £322million has been taken out of the system across the UK to fund the Olympics. We hope that The Assembly Government will advocate both that the percentage return to Wales increases and that the percentage return to arts, sport and heritage also increases.‖272

294. Similarly, the Arts Council of Wales highlighted that:

―If the UK Government delivers on the commitments that it has been making lately, lottery funding to the arts in Wales will increase, in that the Olympic levy that we are currently being asked to pay will cease. We are also funding a number of projects as part of the cultural Olympiad, which will also cease around 2012. There are also proposals to return funds to the original good causes; our share of lottery income is currently 0.8033 per cent of the take, and that will go up to 1 per cent. That small difference will be quite significant. So, we are hoping that we will be able to open our lottery capital programme, because there are a number of existing priorities, which include both large-scale signature projects and very important small local projects, that we need to get to grips with.‖273

295. We were therefore pleased that the Minister for Heritage concurred that:

―I am not sure what the future of lottery funding will be after the Olympic Games, but the expectation is that there will be an

272 CC(3) AC 58 273 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 34

86 increase and that some areas, such as the arts and sports, will benefit. I hope that that will counteract some of the cuts in the budget.‖274

Future local authority funding

296. A range of witnesses also expressed concerns to us about potential cuts in funding from local authorities. For example, Academi commented that ―with proposed budget cuts of up to 30% looming for some local authorities, the future has never been more uncertain.‖275 Powys County Council acknowledged these concerns, commenting that:

―Powys County Council is not adequately resourced to consistently fund and support cultural activities within the current economic climate whilst recognising the importance of doing so. If the WAG government settlement follows the pattern of recent years or worsens, then facilities and provision will inevitably be lost‖276

297. Indeed, the WLGA commented that:

―Many local authorities are already looking for at least a 10% reduction in their budget for cultural services for 2011/12 alone. Cultural services – arts, archives, libraries, museums – have a very small team of core staff and will find it a struggle to maintain services. The main focus is on trying to maintain basic functions and to keep as many cultural venues open, and ride out the storm ahead over the next five years.‖277

298. While a representative of Wrexham County Council commented that:

―There are some signs that certain types of service, where the costs are ostensibly easier to isolate, can be under threat. There are one or two examples in Wales, much to my regret, although not in our patch fortunately, of where mobile library services, for example, have been stopped. That, to me, is a piece of false accounting. It is done just because it is very easy

274 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 24 November 2010, Para 143 275 CC(3) AC 05 276 CC(3) AC 51 277 CC(3) AC 66

87 to say, ‗This is the cost of that service‘, because it is contained in the vehicle and the staff. As a result, the service becomes more difficult for people to access in remoter, more rural areas. It is those sorts of issues that we need to be quite careful about in the coming months.‖278

299. We are concerned that future funding from local authorities for the arts could be affected by the Welsh Government‘s draft budget. We consider that this can most effectively be addressed by bringing forward our 8th recommendation- that the Welsh Government brings forward a measure to place a statutory duty on local authorities to support arts and cultural experiences in their local areas. We anticipate that the very process of developing such a measure would highlight and communicate the strategic priority placed by the Welsh Government on the accessibility of arts and cultural experiences.

Alternative future sources of funding

300. We also note that our witnesses expressed little confidence that alternative sources of funding could be sourced to compensate for any losses in public funding for the arts. For example, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru commented that:

―securing funding from the private sector or from Trusts for productions in Welsh is very difficult. Philanthropists who are willing to invest in Welsh-language theatre are few and far between.‖279

301. Similarly, Small World Theatre considered that ―money from charities and trusts has almost completely DRIED UP with low to zero capital growth,‖280 whilst Voluntary Arts Wales asserted that ―alternative sources of income are diminishing‖281

302. However, Aberystwyth Arts Centre drew attention to the support it received from Aberystwyth university, commenting that:

278 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 110 279 CC(3) AC 41 280 CC(3) AC 78 281 CC(3) AC 85

88 ―other universities are similarly supporting and developing art provision not just for their own use but also as part of their responsibility to serve their regional community.‖282

282 CC(3) AC 76

89 4. Improving the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales

303. A range of witnesses suggested other potential ways in which the accessibility of arts and cultural activities could be improved.

Three year funding cycles

304. A significant number of our witnesses considered that three year cycles of funding for organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences would provide them with greater security to plan their work. The Arts Council of Wales commented that the recommendation they would make to the Welsh Government:

―that is budget neutral, which would have a huge impact, is around year-end flexibility and the ability to be able to offer three-year funding. We are currently on an annual year-by-year cycle, and if circumstances change and we were unable to offer all the funds by the end of the year, then we have to surrender those back to the Welsh Assembly Government. The way that the large-scale performing arts work, you need security over time to be able to plan. Three-year funding provides that. The ability to have some flexibility in carrying over funds is also important, as with any business. If you do not need to spend the money on 31 March, but you know that you will have to spend it on 5 April because of timing issues, then the automatic guillotine is a real problem. It does not cost any more money, in that whatever the budget allocation is it is, but year-end flexibility and three-year funding would be very important.‖283

305. Not all witnesses were in favour of this recommendation, with Bob Innes commenting that he believed there was ―no need for a 3-year funding cycle. Do artists and groups get funded in 3-year cycles? No.‖284

306. However, most witnesses considered that greater funding security for the arts council would enable greater security for arts organisations funded by them. For example, BBC NOW suggested that:

283 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 57 284 CC(3) AC 77

90 ―the Arts Council‘s current inability to provide multi-year funding arrangements hampers the Orchestra‘s long-term planning, and we would support the introduction of longer- term funding models, similar to those enjoyed by arts bodies in England. While this would not solve the funding challenges currently facing many organisations, it would provide a more stable and predictable base for resource and activity planning.‖285

307. While Fishguard International Music Festival agreed that advance planning was essential, commenting that:

―in order to put on a successful festival it is necessary to plan up to three years ahead. This is the only way the Artistic Director can obtain the performers, works and programmes required to achieve festival aims and objectives, especially for fully rehearsed new and less well known works by new and less well known composers. Reliable indications of forward finance are therefore essential in order to manage maximum artistic risk with acceptable commercial risk.‖286

308. Similarly, Welsh Sinfonia considered that although:

―regular public funding should be subject to regular review and should never be taken for granted…some security of funding provides the safety net that allows arts organizations to innovate and take artistic risks.‖287

309. We were therefore pleased that a Welsh Government official advised us that:

―We are investigating whether we can allocate three-year funding deals as part of the decisions on the budgets, which are being taken as we speak. It has always been the desire to give organisations a longer period in which to plan sensibly. The issue with end-year flexibility is a technical matter to do with rules set by the Treasury in London. Those rules currently impact on us by giving us very little flexibility; in fact, in future, they will provide even less flexibility to allow organisations to carry money over from one year to the next. However, we are in

285 CC(3) AC 11 286 CC(3) AC 20 287 CC(3) AC 25

91 discussion with the arts council and with all the other arm‘s- length bodies that we fund to see whether we can find creative ways of overcoming this difficulty, particularly now, when we are facing a squeeze on budgets, which makes the issues of flexibility even more important than they have been in the past.‖288

310. We welcome the Welsh Government‘s efforts to persuade the UK Government to allow them to allocate three-year funding deals, with year-end flexibility. We consider that such efforts could usefully continue.

We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to seek to persuade the UK Government to enable them to provide three-year funding deals to bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales, with year-end flexibility.

A co-ordinated central governmental approach to arts and culture

311. A range of our witnesses suggested there was room for more ―joined up thinking between Wales Government, Arts Council of Wales and local authorities.‖289

312. Several of our witnesses noted that various departments within central government provided funding for the arts and culture, but that there appeared to be limited co-ordination of such work. For example, trac commented that:

―although the public may assume that Arts & Culture are the remit of the Heritage Ministry, it seems that many other Ministries fund their own Arts & Culture work with what seems to be very little ‘joined-up thinking.‘‖290

313. Similarly, the Arts Council of Wales commented that:

―we need to be aware across Governments of where all the arts spending is. From our point of view, it is entirely a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government where it spends money on the arts. We are aware of quite a lot of it in partnerships with the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and

288 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 68 289 CC(3) AC 38 (LLantarnam Grange Arts Centre) 290 CC(3) AC 39

92 Skills and with the Health and Social Services Department, but I think that it would help with co-ordination and would help us to be able to partner more effectively with the Welsh Assembly Government if we had a complete view of where that funding is going.‖291

314. Amgueddfa Pontypool Museum highlighted to us that without such knowledge and co-ordination there was a greater potential for duplication.292 Arts Connect concurred with this assessment, noting the range of:

―departments that indirectly fund the arts… Wanless funding has previously been used within the Valleys for arts activity with young people in order to raise health standards and the Cymorth funding, distributed by the Children and Young People‘s Partnerships within the Arts Connect area, is used to commission arts activity with targeted groups of young people up to the age of 25.‖293

315. The Minister for Heritage concurred that a range of Welsh Government departments were involved in supporting different arts and cuItural activities. He commented that in:

―respect of the expenditure of DCELLS, the health department to a lesser extent, and perhaps the major events unit on the periphery, there is a strong rationale for bringing all those figures together to see what their impact is.‖294

316. We agree with the Minister for Heritage‘s comments that there would be value in determining the expenditure on arts and cultural experiences across the wide range of its departments. We anticipate that this would enable a greater co-ordination of such finance in the future, and avoid the potential for wasteful duplication of public expenditure.

We recommend that the Welsh Government clarifies its total current expenditure towards arts and cultural experiences, across all Government Departments.

291 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 62 292 CC(3) AC 18 293 CC(3) AC 26 294 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 62

93 317. The Arts Council of Wales also commented that general co- ordination of policies between it and central government departments (such as the Major Events Unit) could be improved, commenting that:

―The example of Faenol is very interesting, with the benefit of hindsight, with regard to the need for us and the Welsh Assembly Government to be absolutely clear about future funding strategies and announcements in particular. People knew for months that we would be announcing this decision on the Faenol. The decision was made initially to provide £250,000-worth of funding to the Faenol, and people jumped to the immediate conclusion that we were taking from one to give to the other, which introduced an element of anger in some quarters that we could probably have done without if we had been more co-ordinated.‖295

318. However, the Minister for Heritage also provided examples of perceived good practice in co-ordinating the work of its various departments that had an impact on the arts and cultural activities, noting for example:

―the Cultural Tourism Steering Group chaired by Visit Wales brings together the different parts of my Portfolio to implement Wales Cultural Tourism Action Plan.‖296

319. We consider that it is appropriate that the Welsh Government continues its efforts to promote a co-ordinated approach between the various departments involved in supporting arts and cultural experiences in Wales. This could include, for example, co-locating officials from units that regularly work collaboratively (e.g. the Major Events Unit and Arts Branch).

We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to promote a co-ordinated approach between its various departments in their support for the arts and culture experiences in Wales.

Partnership approaches between Local Authorities

320. Our witnesses also suggested that bodies such as local authorities and the Arts Council of Wales could co-ordinate their

295 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 22 September 2010, Para 62 296 CC(3) AC 43

94 funding approaches more effectively. For example, Powys County Council commented that:

―there is considerable scope for a more integrated approach to arts funding between Local Authorities and the Arts Council of Wales to prevent the ever present danger of losing provision by failing to identify and align shared strategic objectives or through properly understanding the relationship with the voluntary sector at local level.‖297

321. Similarly, Professor Elan Closs Stephens urged the Welsh Government to ―encourage local authorities to work across boundaries in the sphere of the arts, as they do in other fields.‖298

322. The National Museum of Wales highlighted that some local authorities were already working collaboratively on a regional level, commenting that:

―When we are working in those areas, we need a strategic approach to our priorities and we really benefit when those sub-regions and regions have a strategic view of how working with us will take them forward in working with their communities and working with their approach to heritage and culture. So, we have been facilitating meetings between those local authorities, and taking part in work with CyMAL as to how to facilitate those kinds of strategic discussions. That has led to co-operation within the region and the sub-region, as well as a better use of our resource in those localities.‖299

323. Notably, Gwynedd Council praised the work of CyMAL in providing strategic advice and enabling a partnership approach, commenting that the ―dedication of CyMAL‗s officials, with their experience and expertise in the field, has been invaluable.‖300

324. The WLGA also asserted that Local Authorities needed to work collaborative to share good practice, raise standards and find ―innovative solutions to lack of funding where possible.‖301 Similarly,

297 CC(3) AC 51 298 CC(3) AC 59 299 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 125 300 CC(3) AC 74 301 CC(3) AC 66

95 Arts Connect described how the local authorities involved in its partnership approach were able to:

―share some of the existing resources; avoid duplication in seeking external funding (including from WAG); eliminate developing similar but unconnected projects and speak to WAG, the Arts Council of Wales and other bodies with a stronger and more strategic voice, in order to secure additional resources for arts activity and enjoyment.‖302

325. We welcome initiatives to develop regional approaches to the delivery of arts and cultural experiences in Wales. We consider such work particularly appropriate because we recognise that people will rarely ‗stick‘ to only those arts and cultural experiences within their geographically defined local authority area.

We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to encourage the development of regional arts services across local authority areas.

Partnership approaches between organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural activities

326. A significant number of witnesses also highlighted to us the potential benefits of individual organisations working collaboratively to deliver arts and cultural activities.

Pooling resources for marketing

327. For example, the WLGA suggested that organisations could pool resources for marketing, commenting that currently:

―there is wasted expenditure whereby every little arts organisation has to create its own marketing and its own ticketing operation. There was a little debate at a local organisation yesterday and they were so proud to tell me that they had found £500 to create a new website. I was saying, ‗Well done, wonderful, but why the dickens are you bothering?‘ They had to waste a lot of time to find £500, which was a lot for them, to create a website when, in fact, they have a big

302 CC(3) AC 26

96 sister down the road who would not even notice the inclusion of that material.‖303

328. Similarly, Mid Wales Opera suggested that ―there is a strong case for the Welsh Government insisting on shared marketing where ACW funding is involved.‖304 trac‘s evidence also indicated that organisations could do a better job of marketing each other, and signposting audiences and participants to other activities that might be of interest, commenting that:

―if trac finds a difficulty, it is in other agencies who presume that traditional music cannot possibly be of interest to, say, young people. Such presumption actually means that young people are not accessing diversity.‖305

329. Similarly, Glasbury Arts highlighted that:

―collaboration requires a shift in thinking on the part of organisations when competition has been the way of operating over the last decade or so but it will make the arts stronger and more creative.‖306

330. Disability Arts Wales concurred that:

―in such difficult economic times the partnership approach can be adapted for use in a much more widespread way. I do not mean the merging of organisations, but the sharing of knowledge, ideas, projects, people and sometimes venues. This can be made to work on small and large scales, between organisations and between the voluntary and statutory sectors.‖307

331. While the National Dance Company noted the value of performance organisations developing an effective relationship with operators of local venues, recognising that:

303 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 13 October 2010, Para 94 304 CC(3) AC 35 305 CC(3) AC 39 306 CC(3) AC 45 307 CC(3) AWE 5

97 ―if each organisation worked in partnership with venues then a better link between participation and audience development could be established.‖308

332. We concur with our witnesses that it would be valuable for organisations to work collaboratively, and to promote one-another. We consider that such work may require a shift in some organisations thinking, to see each other as partners, rather than competitors. However, we consider there to be considerable evidence to suggest that if a person can be engaged in one form of art or cultural experience, they are more likely to be engaged in others in the future. We consider that all organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural experiences will therefore benefit from promoting and learning from one another.

Pooling resources for people with disabilities

333. Other witnesses highlighted that partnership approaches could improve services for people with disabilities, by enabling a greater sharing and pooling of resources. For example, the RNID commented that Wales Millennium Centre:

―has two fantastic machines that provide stage text. Therefore, one operates in Cardiff and it is willing to share the other with other theatres. They say that they cannot get other companies to take advantage of it.‖309

Sharing Business Planning Expertise and skills development

334. Age Concern‘s evidence also highlighted that partnership approaches would enable organisations to pool resources and expertise for business planning, commenting that:

―The investment review has shifted organisations towards a more commercial model of funding requiring the development of business plans. This can be problematic for smaller organisations that lack capacity and experience in this area and many will need assistance to ensure their survival in a radically altered funding environment.‖310

308 CC(3) AC 62 309 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 6 October 2010, Para 34 310 CC(3) AC 31

98 335. Similarly, the National Museum of Wales suggested that:

―there probably needs to be more collaboration between all of the different museums on skills development so that, if you are a very small museum, provision of those activities does not rely on your having a specialist education officer.‖311

Delivering in partnership

336. Our witnesses also noted a range of good practice to date, whereby different organisations had already worked collaboratively to enable the delivery of particular events. For example, Communities First in Rhondda Fach described how the Porth Winter Lantern Parade and Festival was:

―a partnership approach between Communities First, Porth Town Centre Forum, Porth Chamber of Trade, Trading Standards, Police and a number of departments from Rhondda Cynon Taff and SWICA – South Wales Intercultural Community Arts. Individually communities could not have put on this sort of event on their own and it goes to prove what true partnership working can achieve.‖312

337. Several witnesses, including TASC, the WLGA, Powys County Council and Powys Arts Forum, particularly praised the Arts Council for Wales Night Out Touring Scheme in this context because it:

―supports local cultural autonomy in the shows the community hosts, while providing excellent support and advice to develop a professional framework. This seems to be the sort of partnership model that could be extended elsewhere.‖313

338. A more long-term partnership approach was highlighted in the evidence of Wyeside Arts Centre and Theatr Brycheiniog. Wyeside Arts Centre stated that:

―The proposal, which is at an advanced stage of negotiation, is for Theatr Brycheiniog to manage the operations of both Arts Centres and to employ all staff, while the Wyeside Board of Trustees remain responsible for the Wyeside building… The

311 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 136 312 CC(3) AC 12 313 CC(3) AC 44 (Powys Arts Forum)

99 proposed Federation appears to be the first such project in Wales and to conform to ACW strategies and guidance on partnership, innovation and collaboration... The proposal commands support from both company Boards and from Powys County Council, and ACW appears interested and sympathetic. The proposal involves the creation of more for less, in a manner which all public funders would support, but inevitably involves systems amalgamation costs and early-years start-up funding The finance available has to be sufficient to satisfy the Board of Theatr Brycheiniog that it can safely commit to the federation plan.‖314

339. Theatr Brycheiniog commented that:

―this joint working and centralised management around one ‗hub‘ is also a novel and exciting innovation for Wales which we believe can be replicated across the country.‖315

Enabling such partnership working

340. As noted above, our witnesses highlighted a wide range of potential benefits that could be elicited from partnership working between organisations involved in delivering arts and cultural activities. We consider that partnership working between such organisations can deliver a wide range of benefits, and should be enabled wherever possible. We were therefore pleased that the Minister for Heritage stated that:

―I have held a summit of various cultural organisations and emphasised that this is the time for co-operation, to see whether we can do some things better and some things that might even result in some savings to preserve the cultural activities that are so valued in our communities and by individuals. I have been pressing hard on these different organisations to look for chances to work together to maximise opportunities. At the moment, there is a great deal of goodwill and it is to be hoped that we will have some practical examples in the coming year. There are examples of individual local authorities trying to work together to create structures that

314 CC(3) AC 16 315 CC(3) AC 57

100 may bring benefits, especially in providing experiences for young people. That may bring results in the coming years‖316

341. We support the Welsh Government in its work, and welcome its strategic emphasis on the value of co-operation. However, our witnesses‘ evidence also drew attention to a number of obstacles to such partnership approaches. For example, Newport City Council‘s evidence suggested that pooling resources could potentially lead to funding losses, commenting that they ―lost ACW funding because the Art Gallery is nested in a building that provides other services.‖317 Similarly, Powys County Council expressed concern that:

―The Arts Council of Wales has cut revenue funding Community Arts Rhayader & District (CARAD) and its recently established Community Museum because it views the organisation as a museum rather than an arts facility. In reality, many Museums‘ collections contain art works and promote engagement with art works in exhibitions, activities and events as part of their regular programmes. The funding and support systems do not adequately recognise the close relationship between art and cultural heritage.‖318

342. The National Museum of Wales also expressed concern that technicalities in CyMAL‘s funding systems that could potentially stand as barriers to organisations working collaboratively together, commenting that:

―CyMAL can only fund registered museums, libraries and archives. That requires those places to have collections. So, how can we get funding for projects in places such as Oriel y Parc, which is a visitor information centre in St David‘s? It does not have a collection, and so it cannot be registered. How can we deliver services through festivals that may not be building- based, as we did in Swansea? How can we deliver through things such as craft centres that combine commercial activity with exhibitions, such as that in Ruthin? It is looking at some of those technicalities, which on one level are bureaucratic

316 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 55 317 CC(3) AC 65 318 CC(3) AC 51

101 niceties, but on another level may really impact on delivering meaningful activity on the ground.‖319

343. Similarly, TAN dance ltd expressed concerns about inconsistencies in funding requirements, describing that:

―we were unable to access a further year of funding under the Communities First Outcomes Fund for reasons that gave us concern. We were invited to apply and told that we needed to find 20% match funding. This was not easy for us but after much hard effort we succeeded in doing so. We were then told that the match funding requirement had changed to 50% which for an organisation of our capacity was not possible. This meant that we had to withdraw. We were again contacted saying that it was back to 20% but by then we had designated the extra funds we had acquired to other projects and were only able to claw 15% back. We were told this was not enough and that our application would not be considered. We do not think this is how the Welsh Assembly Government should operate its funding programmes.‖320

344. We consider that if partnership working will succeed if it is enabled, rather than hindered, by existing administrative and funding arrangements. We therefore consider that the Welsh Government should enable a review of such processes with the intention of eliminating any unnecessary barriers to partnership approaches.

We recommend that the Welsh Government sets out a strategic message that all public funding arrangements for arts and cultural experiences should be reviewed to ensure that they promote, rather than prevent, partnership working between organisations delivering arts and cultural experiences.

345. We anticipate that this would involve the Welsh Government inviting decision making bodies such as CyMAL and the Arts Council of Wales to review their administrative and funding processes, with the intention of identifying any unintended barriers to partnership working.

319 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 114 320 CC(3) AC 69

102 346. Notably, our witnesses also suggested that the Welsh Government could enable greater co-ordination and linkage between large, national organisations, and smaller, community based groups. The Senghenydd Youth drop in centre commented for example that the Welsh Government should:

―Make a network of paths that lead from BIG events to the community raising awareness and accessibility. See the community and people who work with the people to develop funding mechanisms, plan and develop activities and services.‖321

347. Similarly, Lucy Bevan concurred that she would:

―love to see a situation where the Welsh National companies (in particular WNO and also the BBCNOW) did much more for communities in rural Wales; they use up a great deal of financial resource and therefore should give more back to Wales.‖322

348. While the WLGA considered that:

―there is certainly a major challenge for the big, ‗national‘ companies and organisations to redefine more explicitly their national obligation as ‗all Wales‘. Outreach work, touring, educational programmes and lending people and resources are all important to strengthening links with communities across Wales – even more so at a time when money is scarce.‖323

349. Notably, the National Dance Company concurred that ―national companies, if funded appropriately, have the potential capacity and ability to incubate work at different scales but still at the highest quality.‖324 While the Minister for Education suggested that:

―it is particularly incumbent on national bodies and organisations operating in Wales to ensure that they play their part in taking the arts to the people. The concentration of activity around Cardiff and other centres of population is inevitable, but it is vital that these national organisations

321 CC(3) AC 02 322 CC(3) AC 48 323 CC(3) AC 66 324 CC(3) AC 61

103 realise their obligations to Wales as a whole. I will be emphasising that to the arts council as part of its investment review and the on-going funding of these organisations in future.‖325

350. We welcome the Minister‘s comments, and consider there to be significant merit in emphasising the role of Wales‘ National organisations to the people of Wales as a whole. We recognise that National companies are rooted geographically, but consider that there are opportunities for them to promote their work across Wales, through outreach work, touring, educational programmes, and- in particular- working with local organisations in other parts of Wales. We consider that if National organisations can be seen to act as ‗hubs‘ for the delivery of arts and cultural experiences, it is vital that they work in partnership with associated ‗spokes‘ (i.e. community based organisations and projects delivering arts and cultural experiences in local communities) to help and support them.

We recommend that the Welsh Government continues to emphasise the obligation of Wales’ National Arts and Cultural bodies to the people of Wales as a whole.

351. We anticipate that in progressing this recommendation, the Welsh Government could engage in dialogue with bodies such as the Arts Council of Wales, with a view to establishing that the on-going funding of national organisations will be dependent on them realising their obligations to Wales‘ people as a whole.

325 RoP, Communities and Culture Committee, 3 November 2010, Para 71

104 Witnesses

The following witnesses provided oral evidence to the Committee on the dates noted below. Transcripts of all oral evidence sessions can be viewed in full at http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus- committees/bus-committees-scrutiny-committees/bus-committees- third-ccc-home/cc_inquiries/cc_3__meeting_papers_.htm

22 September

Nick Capaldi, Chief Executive Arts Council of Wales

6 October

Sarah Rochira, Director RNIB Cymru Richard Williams, Director RNID Cymru

Chris Ryde, Organiser for Welsh Association of Performing Arts Wales and the South West, EQUITY Mai Jones, General Manager, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, WAPA Executive Member

Steve Davis, Artistic Director Spectacle Theatre

Gary Meredith, Artistic Director Gwent Theatre

13 October

Jacquy Box, Wales Co-ordinator Voluntary Arts Wales Aled Rhys–Jones, Chair

Keith Griffin, Director Ty Cerdd – Music Centre Wales

Dr Chris Llewellyn, Director of Welsh Local Government Association Lifelong Learning, Leisure and Information Alan Watkin, WLGA Adviser on Leisure and Culture (and the

105 Chief Leisure, Libraries and Culture Officer at Wrexham Council) Heledd Bebb, Leisure, Culture & Tourism Policy Officer

Maggie Hampton, Director Disability Arts Cymru

3 November

Alun Ffred Jones, Minister for Welsh Government and CyMAL Heritage

John Howells, Director of Culture

David Anderson, Director National Museum Wales General Paul Loveluck, Chair Michael Tooby, Director of Learning, Programmes and Development

Robin Gwyn, Director of Communications

106 List of written evidence

The following people and organisations provided written evidence to the Committee. All written evidence can be viewed in full at http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus- committees-scrutiny-committees/bus-committees-third-ccc- home/cc_inquiries/cc_3__ac_responses_received_.htm

Organisation Reference Dr David Russell Hulme MA, Aberystwyth University AC 01 Director of Music Dave Brunton, The Senghenydd Youth Drop AC 02 Project Manager in Centre Rod Bowden AC 03 John Davies, Bishop of AC 04 Swansea and Brecon Peter Finch, Chief Executive The Welsh Academy AC 05 Phil Alder, Arts Development Carmarthenshire County AC 06 Manager - Culture and Council Leisure Departments Peryn Clement-Evans, Ensemble Cymru AC 07 Executive Officer and Artistic Director Menai Lloyd Williams, Welsh Books Council AC 08 Director's Secretary Peter Doran, Director The Torch Theatre Company AC 09 Nick Capaldi, Arts Council of Wales AC 10 Chief Executive AWE 01 AWE 07, AWE07a AWE 18 AWE 20 Rhodri Talfan Davies, BBC Wales and BBC National AC 11 BBC Cymru Wales, Head of Orchestra of Wales Strategy and Communications

107 Chris Jobber, Regeneration Communities First in AC 12 Coordinator, Communities Rhondda Fach First Central Support Team Wendy Rees, Ynyshir and Wattstown Coordinator Steve Smith, Cymmer Communities First Coordinator Sue Konieczny, Secretary Abergavenny and District AC 13 Civic Society Judith Humphreys, co- Cofis Bach AC 14 ordinator Sybol Crouch, Head of Talisesin Arts Centre AC 15 Cultural Services Wyeside Arts Centre Limited AC 16 Theatr Mwldan AC 17 Dilwyn Davies, Director Pontypool Museum AC 18 Chris Ryde, Organiser for Welsh Association of AC 19 Wales and the South West, Performing Arts EQUITY Owen P Williams, Chairman Fishguard International AC 20 Music Festival Keith Griffin, Director Ty Cerdd Music Centre AC 21 Carolyn Seymour, Trustee ARTREGEN AC 22 on behalf of the Committee of ARTREGEN Nicolas Young, Theatre and The Riverfront and Newport AC 23 Arts Director Festival 2010 Richard Hogger, Director Creu Cymru AC 24 Sophie Lewis, General Sinfonia Cymru AC 25 Manager Strinda Davies, ArtsConnect AC 26 Head of Service - Cultural Services Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council John Marjoram, Federation of Museums & AC 27 Development Officer Art Galleries of Wales Eleanor Hicks, Projects and Stonewall Cymru AC 28 Policy Officer William James Clwyd Theatr Cymru AC 29

108 Dee Stott, Manager Dawns Powys Dance AC 30 Martyn Jones, Equalities Age Cymru AC 31 Policy Adviser Linda Brown Theatr Bara Caws AC 32 Sir Emyr Jones Parry, Wales Millennium Centre AC 33 Chairman Fern Smith, secondment Sustain Wales – Cynnal AC 34 Cymru Mike Penn, General Manager Mid Wales Opera AC 35 David Drake, Director Ffotogallery AC 36 Carl Grainger, Head of Artes Mundi AC 37 Administration and Finance Hywel Pontin, Director Llantarnam Grange Arts AC 38 Centre Siân Thomas, Director trac AC 39 Nick Beasley, Chief Audiences Wales AC 40 Executive Mai Jones, General Manager Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru AC 41 Sioned Rowlands Welsh Literature Exchange AC 42 Minister for Heritage Welsh Government AC 43 AWE 10 AWE 12 Philip Freeman Powys Arts Forum AC 44 John Fitzgerald, Glasbury Arts AC 45 Chair Pete Moorey, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund AC 46 Government and Parliamentary Relations David Anderson, Director National Museum Wales AC 47 General Lucy Bevan, Arts AC 48 Development Officer Lucy Davies, Producer National Theatre Wales AC 49 Dwynwen Lloyd Evans, Head Theatr Felin Fach AC 50 of Theatre and Campus Lucy Bevan, Arts Powys County Council AC 51 Development Officer Jon Gower AC 52

109 Sue KoniecznySecretary Abergavenny and District AC 53 Civic Society Meinir Llwyd Jones - Canolfan Gerdd William AC 54 Manager, Mathias Elinor Bennett - Member of the Board of Directors Richard Williams, Director RNID Cymru AC 55 AWE 11 Steve Davis, Artistic Director Spectacle Theatre AC 56 AWE 04 Andy Eagle, Director Theatr Brycheiniog AC 57 AC 57A Chris Ryde, Organiser for EQUITY AC 58 Wales and the South West, EQUITY Professor Elan Cross AC 59 Stephens Mhora Samuel, Director The Theatres Trust AC 60 Ann Sholem, Artistic National Dance Company AC 61 Director Pete Bellingham, Managing Welsh National Opera AC 62 Director Nia Wyn Evans, Theatr Arad Goch AC 63 Administration Manager R. Arwel Jones, Director of National Library of Wales AC 64 Public Services Mike Lewis, Museums and Newport City Council AC 65 Heritage officer Heledd Bebb, Leisure, Welsh Local Government AC 66 Culture & Tourism Policy Association AWE 14 Officer AWE 14a AWE 14b People First Limited AC 67 Maggie Hampton, Director Disability Arts Cymru AC 68 AWE 05 Carol Brown, Artistic Tan Dance Ltd AC 69 Director Amanda Farr, Director Oriel Davies Gallery AC 70 Lydia Bassett, Coordinator The Circuit AC 71

110 Dr D.J. Naylor AC 72 Nia Jones Cwmni'r Frân Wen AC 73 Roland Evans, Senior Gwynedd County Council AC 74 Manager Economy and Community Leanne Rahman Black Voluntary Sector AC 75 Women's Arts Development Network Officer Alan Hewson, Director Aberystwyth Arts Centre AC 76 R.D. Innes AC 77 Bill Hamblett, Artistic Small World Theatre AC 78 Director Emma FlatleyDirector Rubicon Dance AC 79 Nikki Leopold, General Theatr Powys AC 80 Manager Philip Freeman Tasc AC 81 Gary Meredith, Artistic Gwent Theatre Company AC 82 Director AWE 03 AWE 06 AWE 08 AWE13 AWE 15 AWE 16 AWE 19 Lucy Bevan, Arts Mid Wales Chamber AC 83 Development Officer Orchestra Sarah Rochira, Director RNIB Cymru AC 84 AWE 17 Jacquy Box, Wales Co- Voluntary Arts Wales AC 85 ordinator AWE 09 Peter Cole, Regional Strategy Capital Region Tourism AC 86 Director Barbara Hetherington AC 87 National Association for the AWE 02 Teaching of Drama David Lloyd Howells AWE 21 Immy Lee, Domestic Abuse Torfaen Domestic Abuse AWE 22 Co-ordinator Forum

111