Members of Wales? leading galleries and visual arts organisations have expressed concern over proposals to re-structure the Arts Council of Wales and resignations by key members of ACW?s Visual Arts team.
Angry at the lack of consultation over a new strucutre which is likely to override some of the recommendations made by consultant Professor Anthony Everitt in ACW?s restructuring review, the Visual Arts Group Wales (VAGW) believes that the new proposals may exclude experts in specific artforms at the most senior levels within ACW.They are also concerned that the new Visual Arts and Crafts team will be based in ACW?s West Wales office.
ACW, which is due to publish full details of the new structure this week, has described information currently circulating about its proposals as both ?inaccurate and misleading?. In a progress report, ACW states that it will ?... retain lead officers for each artform including visual arts and craft. Expertise will be available through the local offices - Carmarthen, Colwyn Bay and the South Wales office - as well as at the head office....?
Janek Alexander, Chair of Presenting the Arts Group (PAG) and a vociferous former critic of ACW policy, is also positive about the proposed changes. He said ?Having argued that ACW needed to change I don?t think we can complain when they speed up the process.We?re seeing new ways of thinking about the role of umbrella bodies like PAG and VAGW. We should concentrate on that, rather than precisely how many officers are based in this or that office.The real goal is achieving a positive Welsh Assembly financial settlement for the arts.Things are looking better on that front and the new ACW is key.?