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The introduction of admission fees at all national museum sites in Wales due to “critical” financial pressures has an “air of inevitability”, a government committee has heard.

Deputy Minister for Culture Dawn Bowden told the Senedd’s culture committee that ending free entry was being considered as a way to generate income in the face of budget constraints.

In December, the Welsh government revealed plans for a curtailed cultural budget, handing a £3m cut to the National Museums of Wales and a 10.5% drop in funding to Arts Council Wales, suggesting cultural bodies need to "explore other sources of income".

Speaking at the culture committee, Plaid Cymru’s Llŷr Gruffydd said there was an air of inevitability about the introduction of entry charges.

Bowden told ministers: “It is not something that we would be considering or asking the museum to look at and to consider if it were not in a critical situation.

“The budget situation was such that this was an option that had to be on the table.

“Now, I'm not saying that that's where we will end up, but it would not be responsible of me to rule that out at this stage or to suggest to the museum they shouldn't be exploring that.”

V&A Dundee will reduce the number of major exhibitions it stages each year as part of “mitigating measures” to cut costs.

The move means the Scottish design museum will host only one annual paid exhibition.

A new report sent to the Scottish government by the organisation confirmed that the programming change, first introduced on a trial basis in 2022 in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, will become permanent for the foreseeable future.

The reduction in exhibits is part of a range of measures designed to financially bolster the venue in what it describes as a “volatile operating environment”. Other actions include covering operational costs from financial reserves and cutting overall spending.

In comments to the Scottish parliament last week, V&A Dundee director Leonie Bell said that over the previous five years, the museum had endured “year on year of mitigating measures”, leading to difficulties “to plan beyond a year ahead”.

An independent report published in September 2023 estimated that V&A Dundee had generated £304m for the Scottish economy in the five years since it opened.

The venue receives most of its funding from the Scottish government, which recently increased its grant for 2024/25 by £800,000, taking it to £3.8m.
 

The majority of UK artists want the government to introduce legislation to protect their work from being used to train AI, according to a new survey.

Conducted by Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), the study found 89% would like to see the introduction of more robust safeguards and regulations around AI, with 94% saying they should be compensated financially when their work is used to train AI. 

Although 74% said they had concerns about their work being used to train AI, 84% would sign up for a licensing mechanism to be paid when AI uses their work. 

Nearly a third of respondents reported using an AI software or platform to support or assist their work. Almost the same proportion identified a lack of skills or training as a barrier to using AI in their practice.

As a result of the survey, DACS is making five policy recommendations to the government, including that AI models must comply with copyright law and artists must authorise the use of their works for AI training. 

DACS also wants government to adopt blanket licensing and levy schemes to compensate creators as well as a general improvement in pay and work for artists and incentives for AI training.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland has named 292 artists awarded funding from a £1.04m National Lottery fund as part of its Support for Individual Artists Programme.

The scheme provides artists working across all disciplines with grants of up to £6,000 to develop new creative projects, purchase equipment, and support international performance opportunities and residencies.

Recipients include a horror music composer, aerial circus performer, prosthetic make-up artist and prop-maker.

“Individual artists are at the very heart of the creative sector in Northern Ireland, enriching our communities and bringing our theatres, music venues and galleries to life,” said Gilly Campbell, joint Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

“Thanks to National Lottery players and money raised for good causes, funding from the Arts Council’s Support for Individual Artists Programme will provide artists, working across all areas of the arts, with the vital investment they need to embark on new projects, develop their ideas and find new and engaging ways to present their art.”
 

Hyndburn Council has backed a motion to save Oswaldtwistle's arts centre and theatre, which has been closed for six months.

Hyndburn Arts Limited managed the Lancashire venue for 13 years before the company filed for insolvency in August.

At a full council meeting, a motion was backed to recognise the building as a "vital asset". Hyndburn Council will now explore "options which will lead to the reopening of the premises".

Acting Council Leader Peter Britcliffe proposed the motion, adding: "It's so important to me that we make a very clear commitment to bringing it back into use as soon as humanly possible."

Labour Deputy Leader Noordad Aziz said they fully supported the reopening but criticised the Conservative administration, saying: “They should have brought a full report on it to the council, not just a two-line motion.

"It is not good enough."