Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament
Pwyllgor Diwylliant, Cyfathrebu, y Gymraeg, Chwaraeon, a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol| Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Effaith Gostyngiadau Cyllid ar Ddiwylliant a Chwaraeon | Impact of Funding Reductions for Culture and Sport
Ymateb gan: Steffan Jones-Hughes, Cyfarwyddwr, Oriel Davies Gallery Evidence from: Steffan Jones-Hughes, Director, Oriel Davies Gallery
1. What impacts has reduced funding had on your organisation and sector so far?
Living in Powys, we were hit unexpectedly hard in the Arts Council's Investment Review decisions, with a number of organisations losing funding. As Director of Oriel Davies we had spent a substantial amount of time planning our programme and activities over the coming years. We've been on virtually standstill investment for over a decade, a decade that had austerity, pandemic, inflation and cost of living rises. To have invested so much time carefully planning what we actually need to succeed, but only receiving the same amount, followed by a cut in funding, meant additional workload to replan our programme and budgets. It is unrealistic to think that a county that borders with England and has a large audience from both sides of the border
2. What measures have you taken in light of it, such as changing what you do and how you do it.
Having no support from local council and reduced support from Arts Council undoubtedly has an impact on aspirations, and number of people we're able to reach and support, both as audience and as practitioners. Being entrepreneurial has become an additional essential, that takes time and money.
3. To what extent will these impacts be irreversible (e.g. venues closing, or specialist skills being lost rather than a temporary restriction in activities)?
Some organisations and companies will undoubtedly close, there will be fewer opportunities to inspire young people, to engage with communities, to support community development, raise aspirations and develop new skills. There are fewer volunteer opportunities, sometimes less creative risks will be taken, fewer jobs for freelancers, and at a time when school budgets are tight, little opportunity to support our future creative thinkers by challenging, questioning, broadening horizons and listening
4. What interventions would you like to see from the Welsh Government, beyond increased funding?
Taking Arts and Culture and Creative Industries seriously. The value of the arts is well catalogued elsewhere and although there are Aelodau who understand this importance, there is still much to be done to show the impact each pound makes on Community Cohesion, Health and Wellbeing, social Aspiration, children and young people, equalities and diversity, Welsh Language and culture, and the environment. more support in terms of advocacy, in addition to a higher profile of the cultural tourism Wales has to offer by Visit Wales (Year of Culture?), a more pan Wales approach to business partnership (Arts & Business) and brokering of substantial sponsorship deals by Welsh Gov members.
5. To what extent do the impacts you describe fall differently on people with protected characteristics and people of a lower socioeconomic status?
Invariably those on the lowest incomes lose out the most. We try to offer as much as we can for free to engage with our community. We believe in encouraging all people to take part in the arts, to get involved, to make friends with their organisations. We will continue to offer free opportunities as a priority
6. Do you have any other points you wish to raise within the scope of this inquiry?
It would be good to have research that understands the challenges faced across Wales, there are a lot of us in between the A55 and the M4!