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A £200,000 rescue package has been put together by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Welsh Language Board to bail out the Welsh National Eisteddfod, and work is ongoing to attempt to secure its long-term future. Alun Pugh, Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport said, ?I am not interested in a short-term fix, but I am committed to a package that both secures the future of the National Eisteddfod and ensures it makes a big contribution to the Assembly Government?s long-term vision of a bilingual Wales? I have made it clear that the extra funding allocated to the festival comes with a duty to broaden the appeal of the Eisteddfod to a wider audience in Wales and beyond.?
The Eisteddfod, which dates back to 1176, is staged annually with its venue alternating between the north and south of Wales. The festival?s ?frail financial existence? has long been a source of concern. The costs of staging the event have grown dramatically over the past few years while direct grants have decreased; over the past nine years there has been a general downward trend in attendance. A report last year by Stevens and Associates made a number of recommendations to stabilise the festival based on trying to remove its dependence on variable income streams such as gate receipts and business sponsorship. Elfed Roberts, Director of the National Eisteddfod, welcomed the support package but emphasised that the longer term viability of the festival was at stake if regular financial support could not be guaranteed: ?Not only does the money help our cashflow but the Minister?s statement shows his concern for the long term future of the Eisteddfod. It hasn?t been easy over the past six months, so to hear this encouragement is great news.?