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In recent months the Welsh Assembly Government has begun the process of establishing the right to make the arts a statutory responsibility for local governments in Wales, and the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) has embarked on a comprehensive investment review. Both initiatives could bring about significant change to the arts sector in Wales. With local authority arts funding estimated as equivalent to the Arts Council’s annual budget, there is an opportunity to establish cultural entitlement for the people of Wales and bring together the two main forces of public funding both strategically and practically.
The Arts Council review is partly defined by the current economic climate and a reduction public funding. But it is also informed by the political will to support the pursuit of excellence and revitalise the sector, where too many organisations receive ‘guaranteed’ revenue funding with limited scope to grow and innovate. While we must fund and support arts activity of the highest quality, and trust our arts managers to deliver it effectively, excellence will be found when an experience is relevant to its audience. To be excellent, therefore, publicly funded arts organisations must be equipped to understand their actual and potential audiences, and to employ a well-resourced public engagement and audience development strategy that communicates value.
At the time of writing ACW is still to publish its vision for the future. With limited references to audiences in its current Corporate or Artform Plans, I hope the opportunity is taken to underline the importance of the arts across central government departments and local authorities in Wales, to establish the importance of public engagement, and to ensure that our pursuit of excellence is a pursuit for the needs of our audiences.