Warning Shots

In AP203, Chris Ryde fired a volley of warning shots across the bow of the Arts Council of Wales’s Investment Review. Chris is an old hand in these matters, and his warnings deserve to be taken seriously, so I hope I can offer some reassurance as we brace ourselves for the choppy water ahead.
 

Firstly, why are we undertaking such a radical review exercise? It’s very clear to me that too many arts organisations in Wales are being starved of the resources they need to flourish. Ambition and enterprise are in danger of being choked; newly refurbished buildings don’t have the revenue to capitalise on the potential of their new facilities; arts programmes are being reduced or curtailed; and international partnerships are under threat as organisations are unable to collaborate with their better funded counterparts outside Wales. The creative reasons for a review are overwhelming. But at a time when every pound of public spending will come under intense scrutiny, can we really afford not to be investing taxpayers’ funds as wisely as possible? We (and I include the Arts Council of Wales here) all need to play our part, raise our game. Are we good enough? How can we excel? What will persuade government to see the arts as a priority when there are so many other causes clamouring for attention?

These are the questions that our Investment Review will try to answer. We move forward in as open a way as possible. The Review’s Terms of Reference, our vision for the future, and the criteria by which judgements will be made have all been widely discussed and are available on our website. Of course, ultimately it will come down to making choices. We won’t rip up the things that work and that we know are of value in a devil-may-care fashion. But if need be, we’re prepared to take bold, and even unpopular, funding decisions to support what we believe in. We will not do this haphazardly or irresponsibly, but knowingly, confidently and diligently, equipped with our best instincts, knowledge and expertise. Our vision of a better future for the arts in Wales depends on nothing less.