Review proposes ACW retains control of national companies but concentrates on arts development.
The Wales Art Review, an investigation into the future of the arts infrastructure in Wales, has proposed the sharing of responsibility for the strategic direction for the arts between politicians and the Arts Council of Wales (ACW), and establishing an Arts Strategy Board in an attempt to ensure a balance between artistic freedom and democratic accountability. The proposed Strategy Board would be chaired by the Welsh Assembly Governments (WAG) Culture Minister with representatives from other WAG departments, civil servants, ACW and local government. It would meet regularly to facilitate the sharing of strategy, providing recommendations for action in areas such as social inclusion, youth, film and private investment in the arts. The report recommends the Strategy Board should have a £750,000 budget to fund research and one-off projects to instigate strategic pilots.
The Review, which was chaired by Professor Elan Cross Stephens, a former Chair of Welsh TV channel S4C, held public meetings across Wales and more than 200 responses were received as part of a public inquiry. Responses were overwhelmingly supportive of ACW although anxieties were widely expressed about its ability to offer advocacy and development for the arts. The Review suggests that after each Assembly election (every four years) the newly appointed Culture Minister should publish a Charter setting out the administrations values in regard to the arts and declaring support for artistic freedom. ACW would have a re-jigged role leaving advocacy for the arts in government to the Minister, instead focusing on artform development, possibly resulting in a change of name to Arts Development Wales.
The Review was commissioned earlier this year in response to political and public disquiet at WAGs decision to strip ACW of funding responsibility for six arts organisations deemed to be of national status. It proposes that ACW should manage the funding of all arts organisations, a small number of which should be designated as national companies. A second tier of organisations demonstrating consistent best practice in their field should be nominated as beacon companies. ACW would be charged with encouraging arts organisations to minimise costs by sharing administrative functions with other organisations. Furthermore, a £2.5m Merit Pot should be made available to reward beacon companies which achieve targets such as innovation, social inclusion and excellence. ACW would also be charged with establishing strategic partnerships with local authorities around the country to tackle local and regional issues and streamline grant distribution.
The report received a lukewarm welcome from Culture Minister Alun Pugh who declared that it accepts that the need for change is inevitable& It is right that in a post-devolution Wales we make the relationship between the Assembly Government and the agencies that fund and make decisions on the arts clearer, and that we work together in partnership to deliver world class arts for all.