Research

The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) is seeking views on the role of Welsh in the arts to form a new strategy.

Stakeholders are being invited to join a bilingual discussion about language and art at 4pm, March 9. Two sessions have already taken place.

"We want to hear the voices of people who can speak or who are learning Welsh but we also want to hear the voices of people who do not currently speak the language. Everyone’s views and experiences are key to this strategy," ACW says.

The funder has recently mapped the use of Welsh in the arts and appointed a Welsh Language Enabler, Einir Siôn, who will lead the discussions.

"This will not be a platform to air complaints but an opportunity to discuss positive ways of creating change," Siôn said.

More than a quarter (26%) of live music shows scheduled for the first three months of 2022 have been cancelled.

New research from industry lobby group LIVE says a “perfect storm” of Covid and Brexit have damaged public confidence.

Fear of further restrictions was cited as one of the main reasons for cancellations.

Concerns remain over Brexit, with 90% believing it will negatively affect the industry once markets fully reopen.

44% of upcoming shows featuring international artists have been cancelled. 

LIVE CEO Greg Parmley welcomed restrictions on live music venues coming to an end, but said the industry still faces serious challenges.

“It will take a long time for us to recover from the worst period in history of the industry and the Government need to fully understand the challenges we face.”
 

UK parents are in favour of university-level creative courses and recognise their economic benefits, new research indicates.

A study conducted for Universities UK found 65% of parents agree that creative degrees benefit the UK economy, with 69% saying students on these course gain skills to power the creative industry.

Two thirds said the pandemic has caused long term damage to the UK’s creative industries.

In response, Universities UK is launching MadeAtUni: Creative Sparks, a campaign to showcase creative talent and encourage the Government to support creative university degrees.

Universities UK Chief Executive Alistair Jarvis said universities are central to the UK’s creative excellence: "They’re where the nation’s creative sparks are ignited."