Dawn Bowden MS Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport, and Tourism Welsh Government

Pwyllgor Diwylliant, Cyfathrebu, y Gymraeg, Chwaraeon, a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol — Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Senedd Cymru Bae Caerdydd, Caerdydd, CF99 1SN SeneddDiwylliant@senedd.cymru senedd.cymru/SeneddDiwylliant 0300 200 6565 — Welsh Parliament Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1SN SeneddCulture@senedd.wales senedd.wales/SeneddCulture 0300 200 6565
 

 

 


21 June 2023

Re: Inquiry into the challenges facing the creative industries workforce in Wales

Dear Dawn

Thank you for appearing at the Committee’s meeting on Thursday, 25 May 2023 to give evidence for our inquiry into the challenges facing the creative industries workforce in Wales. The Committee would like to follow-up a number of issues discussed and would be grateful to receive the additional information outlined below.

Objectives for the creative industries sector

Please could you set out the Welsh Government’s key objectives for the creative industries workforce.

Creative industries survey data

The Committee are keen to understand the forward planning process, how the priorities for Creative Wales are set, and the metrics used to inform those decisions. During the meeting, you agreed to share a copy of the creative industries survey data with the Committee. We would be grateful for a copy of the first years’ data and to receive the new data when it becomes available in July 2023.

Support for the Arts and Music sub-sectors

The Committee noted the additional financial support made available via the Arts Council of Wales to ease the burden of cost-of-living pressures in the Arts and Music sub-sectors. The Committee are keen to know more about how the Welsh Government is supporting these sub-sectors. During the meeting, you also agreed to make available a list of other projects supported by the Welsh Government within these sub-sectors. We would be grateful to receive that list, and to know the amount of funding awarded, and turnover in each sub-sector supported by Creative Wales over the past three financial years.

Audience attendance

As you will know, it has taken a long time for audience attendance to recover to pre-pandemic levels. The Committee would be grateful for any information you have on attendance levels in venues in Wales since the start of the pandemic and any assessment you have made of this issue.

Wellbeing facilitators

The Committee would like to know whether the Welsh Government is also looking to good practice elsewhere to support the sector with improving employee management and workplace culture?

Activity supported by Creative Wales

During the meeting, you told us that the level of investment made by the Welsh Government had increased in recent years through the Creative Skills Fund. You explained that there were seventeen projects currently funded to address skills needs, with a similar level of investment anticipated in the next funding round. Please could you provide an outline of those projects and the amount funding each project has received.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

During the meeting, you agreed to provide a list of the projects the Welsh Government has funded with the aim of delivering improvements in this area. The Members would also like to see the new baseline datasets for measuring equality, diversity, and inclusion in the creative industries workforce. Could you also tell us please about how good practice in this area is promoted and shared across the sector.

Skills development

Given the growth of the sector in Wales and identified skills gaps in the available workforce, we are keen to better understand the Welsh Government’s work to build capacity and longevity in a sustainable workforce. The Committee would like to know the following:

§    What is being done to ensure that all young learners can consider accessing further and higher education courses related to the creative industries?

§    What work is being undertaken to facilitate engagement between schools, colleges, and higher education institutions?

§    How will the impact of creativity in the new curriculum be measured? We would be grateful for any information you have on how you intend to measure outputs from the creative element of the new curriculum.

§    What amount of funding has been allocated to the Screen Academies Wales project, and how does this project interact with schools and colleges?

§    What changes need to be made to careers advice services in Wales to ensure that the creative industries are considered viable as a career choice by learners?

§    The Minister for Education and Welsh Language previously told the Children, Young People, and Education Committee that, “making sure that your curriculum includes vocational subjects is likely to improve the attendance and behaviour, perhaps, of some learners who have otherwise been somewhat disengaged.”  What work is being undertaken to ensure that a range of vocational subjects is available to enable learners to work in the creative industries?

Gaming industry

During the meeting, you outlined funding to support graduates and small businesses to develop their intellectual property. What more is the Welsh Government doing to support the gaming sub-sector for the longer term to secure growth and a greater share in the global market?

Future planning

How does the Welsh Government plan to respond to the challenges posed by the growth of artificial intelligence?

We look forward to your response in due course.

Yours sincerely,

Testun, llythyr Disgrifad a gynhyrchwyd yn awtomatig

Delyth Jewell MS
Committee Chair

Croesewir gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg.
We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English.