Arts funding

The Welsh Government has finalised its budget for 2024/25, confirming a 10.5% cut for Arts Council of Wales and the National Library.

Museum workers from the National Museum of Wales, the National Library of Wales, and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales protested outside the Senedd on Tuesday (27 February) as the budget was published.

Proposals to cut financing for National Museums of Wales by £3m and reduce support for local culture and sport by £1.9m have been maintained in the final budget.

The draft budget explained that because of “protections” afforded to employability and skills, the government had to “take the difficult decision” to reprioritise £16m of funding away from culture, sport and tourism, as well as £2m from Cadw, which works to protect historic buildings, landscapes and heritage sites in Wales.

Cadw and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales will benefit from an amendment to the final budget, with an additional £1.16m going to the former and £243,000 going to the latter.

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member Sioned Williams joined the protest along with her colleagues, writing on X: "The cuts to Wales’ museums and National Library will affect so many people – jobs will be put at risk, and the protection of our historical and cultural legacy will be threatened. I, and my [Plaid Cymru] colleagues stand with unions protesting these cuts."

More than 70 arts and culture organisations in Scotland have failed in their bids to gain multi-year funding from Creative Scotland.

Announcing the results of the first of a two-stage application process, the funding body said that of the 361 applications received, 10 were not eligible for assessment, with a further 66 found to not meet the criteria, meaning their applications will not proceed to stage two. 

Iain Munro, Creative Scotland’s Chief Executive said the range and breadth of applications received were "testament to the ambition and potential that exists across Scotland's culture and creative sector". 

"Today's announcement represents the outcome from Stage One of the process, with successful applicants now progressing to stage two," he said. 

"This remains a live and extremely competitive process, and not every stage two application is likely to be successful.” 

Stage two of the application process for multi-year funding opens on Wednesday 6 March, with the deadline for applications set at 2pm on Wednesday 24 April. 

The final outcome from the application process will be announced by the end of October, with funding in place for successful organisations from 1 April 2025. 

Eight arts organisations from across the island of Ireland are to receive up to £11,000 each as part of the Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Arts Fund.

Delivered in partnership with Business to Arts and with support from Arts & Business NI, the programme aims to support projects that increase inclusion and break down barriers to arts participation.

This year’s funding round focused on helping arts organisations working with marginalised and vulnerable groups and included two projects in Northern Ireland.

William Thompson, Head of Consumer Banking NI, Bank of Ireland UK, said: “The Begin Together Fund recognises the important social and economic contribution of the arts and culture sector and its role in connecting and strengthening communities.

“Since the fund began in 2020, Begin Together has provided financial support to a broad range of artists and arts organisations.  

We are pleased that this round of funding will help increase participation in the arts and ensure  as many people as possible have the opportunity to explore their creativity.”

A total of 20 new partnerships between UK- and Germany-based arts organisations have been awarded funding of £310,000 for 2024/25.

The money is being provided through the third annual programme of Cultural Bridge, a collaboration between the UK and Germany with investment from Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, British Council, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales/Wales Arts International, Fonds Soziokultur and Goethe-Institut London.

Projects receiving funding include Co-creating Across Borders: A tale of two cities, a collaboration between Brighton People's Theatre and English Theatre Leipzig, as well as work to develop sustainable models for artist-led spaces being conducted by Assembly House in Leeds and E-WERK in Luckenwalde, Germany.

“We're delighted to continue investing in Cultural Bridge with our partners across the UK and in Germany, and we are excited to see the impact of this next round of partnerships," Simon Mellor, Deputy Chief Executive Arts & Culture at Arts Council England, said.

"They will build on the work the programme has already done to create new connections between communities in England and Germany, giving artists and organisations a chance to develop ideas and projects in collaboration with their peers and to gain new insights by working across borders."