The National Assembly for Wales has awarded its first ever grants directly to the performing arts with £150,000 to support a range of projects.
The move has been condemned by the arts sector and opposition parties alike, in that the cash is being granted, not by the Arts Council of Wales, the body charged with distributing public money, but by the Assembly itself. At the centre of the controversy is Finance Minister Edwina Hart who originally announced during her budget statement last November that an annual £150,000 grant would be made available to fund ?a chamber orchestra for Wales? and to make chamber music ?more accessible to communities?. It appears that the Swansea-based Chamber Orchestra of Wales, was due to be the recipient of the award, though this did not feature in Culture, Language and Sport Minister Jenny Randerson?s culture review, nor was it scrutinised by the culture committee. It now appears that the administration has had a change of heart, and the culture minister has now confirmed that the £150,000 is not for the one project alone, but for many across Wales. A statement has indicated that the Chamber Orchestra of Wales will now get only £20,000 for ?set-up? costs. Edwina Hart has been accused of making up policy without reference to the appropriate committee, and she is facing allegations of favouritism, as she is the AM for Swansea?s neighbouring constituency of Gower.
Published: 25-03-2002