Local authorities in Wales spend a total of £36m every year on arts funding, a new survey has revealed. The survey of the 22 local authorities in Wales, conducted by the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) and the Welsh Local Government Association, examined the level of expenditure made by local authorities on arts and cultural activity during the 2003/04 financial year.
The £36m figure encompasses the revenue funding of local authority arts venues, grant and revenue funding of arts organisations and festivals, and the direct employment of over 700 full- and part-time staff in arts jobs. Spending on museums, libraries, heritage and permanent collections was not included. Peter Tyndall, Chief Executive of ACW, said the survey showed that ?local authority support of the arts is fundamental to the arts infrastructure in Wales. This sum is equivalent to the £36m spent by ACW using funds from the Welsh Assembly Government and the National Lottery.?
Published: 23-05-2005