The devastating impact of cuts in funding on Welsh arts organisations

Opera chair’s warning

If cuts to arts funding in Wales go too deep, much will be lost that can never be put back, the chair of Welsh National Opera, Yvette Vaughan-Jones warned in the latest Wales Matters talk at the Centre in July.

She urged members of the London Welsh community to join with people in Wales to express their serious concern to local government, Senedd and Westminster decision-makers about the difficulties being faced not just by opera but by local and national museums, libraries, and in access by children to music and the arts.

They should put to their elected representative evidence demonstrating the value of culture per se. Funding over a period of years was needed, and incentives for businesses and individuals to give should be improved. WNO had received a disproportionately large reduction in funding and needed more time to cope.

A deeply worrying picture emerged from the talk, arranged jointly by the Cymmrodorion, LWC and Wales in London. WNO, charged over the decades with a remit to tour in England as well as perform in Wales, and provided with the finance for this purpose by successive Arts Councils, had had to cut back its English touring programme, mount fewer different operas each year, and drop venues, such as Liverpool.

“We have been Europe’s biggest touring opera company, but will we still be able to consider ourselves such? It could now afford only sixteen performances a year in its traditional English touring venues. “Yet, if we don’t tour, our future is bleak,” Ms Vaughan Jones warned.

WNO has a much wider role than simply putting on expensive opera, she stressed. It brings on talent in schools and conservatoires (such as the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), it has an extensive programme of outreach and has been a big employer across a range of activities for decades.

The direction of travel in arts funding, however, was away from supporting institutions to assisting individuals. Yet, without the established institutions performers lacked a platform and a source of aspiration, and front of stage and other jobs would go, including many in the Welsh capital in support services.

The origins of the crisis had been the 2008 worldwide financial collapse, since which time there had effectively been a standstill in funding across the arts sector. At the same time, the arm’s length principle, whereby Government stayed back from involvement, had been weakened, and the priorities of the funders – the Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council England – had changed, taking a more political direction.

The primary role of both bodies to support the arts had now been joined by a requirement to foster essentially political objectives. This was seen in the criteria for funding, which now included the need for environmental responsibility and inclusivity in England, and the well-being of future generations and climate justice in Wales. Support for arts for art’s sake was not listed.

In challenging times tough choices did indeed need to be made. “There is, however, a lack of clarity in the role of Arts Council of Wales, and a loss internally of specialists for the individual arts,” she said. Adding to the confusion had been the constant shuffling over 25 years of devolution of arts responsibility between ever changing ministerial portfolios and ministers.

WNO has taken a bigger hit than any other Arts Council of England-funded body and experienced severe cuts in its Arts Council of Wales funding, too. “We have had 5-star reviews for our productions of Death in Venice and Il Trittico this season.” she told the audience. The company’s international standing was high, and it represented Wales to the world, “I am suffering anger, disbelief and bafflement at the position we are in.”

Rhys David

July 21^st, 2024

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