The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) appears to be poised on a very precarious knife edge. At the very moment when it has been unexpectedly tasked with justifying its own existence (p3), it is also exposing major gaps in theatre provision in Wales (p1), and will subsequently be demanding a significant tranche of cash to remedy years of neglect.
This approach may have paid dividends for England?s Arts Council at a time when government purse strings were pretty relaxed; but presumably there?s a danger in Wales that the report will simply be used as ammunition by the Assembly Government in its campaign to abolish its cultural quangos. As one would expect, ACW has put forward a robust and well researched defence of its role, but are the arguments strong enough? The arm?s-length principle is one that the arts community rightly holds dear, but it is just that ? a principle; and these days money seems to speak much louder than principles in government. And as for ACW?s role as a Lottery distributor, would it be too conspiratorial to suggest that the new ?Big Lottery Fund?, currently distributing funds for community-based activity, was so named as to be ?Big? enough to distribute arts funding as well?
Published: 20-09-2004