The arts community in Wales is reeling from the news that First Minister Rhodri Morgan plans to place the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) and three other cultural bodies in Wales under the direct control of the Welsh Assembly Government.
The Welsh Assembly Government has issued a detailed remit setting out the role it expects the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) to play in the delivery of its strategic agenda, “Wales: A Better Country”.
A special grant of £560,000 has been awarded to Flintshire Council by the National Assembly for Wales to enable Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold to write off its outstanding debts.
A plea for the Government to release the arts from damaging levels of accountability was made by Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of England (ACE), in a major speech at the National Portrait Gallery last week.
