Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social
Justice
Welsh National Opera
Source
1. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on her
discussions with Welsh National Opera regarding the budgetary
pressures it faces? OQ61337
, Cabinet Secretary for
Culture and Social Justice
Welsh Government funding for the arts is channelled through the
Arts Council of Wales. Under the arm's-length principle, the
Welsh Government does not intervene in ACW's funding decisions. I
met with the WNO on 21 May and assured them I will do all I can
to help them navigate this very difficult period.
Hefin David14:19:08
And I appreciate everything that you're doing, Cabinet Secretary.
It was my constituent who is a singer with the Welsh National
Opera, Angharad Morgan, who raised this with me, but I know my
colleague in Islwyn has also had
constituents that have been campaigning on this issue.
I was really pleased to attend the wonderful—one of the best
protests you've probably ever seen—on the steps of the Senedd a
few weeks ago. Budget cuts, as you say, by the Arts Council
England and subsequently by the Arts Council of Wales, have put
the WNO in this difficult position. There is little or no
ecosystem in Wales for freelance musicians whose jobs are
potentially under threat to supplement their reduced hours with
additional work in a similar sector. So this means they face
having to move away, and all the attendant impacts that that has.
So, my question to you, Cabinet Secretary, is what can you do to
help that and work with partners to safeguard those particular
jobs, but also perhaps to meet with myself and with to talk about some of our
concerns around that specific issue?
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Debate on Petition
Source
14:20:10
Thank you. Well, I'll certainly be very happy to meet with you. I
think I've met with Rhianon on about three occasions now, who
keeps me very updated because of her close links with the WNO.
And as I said, I have met with them myself. I absolutely
recognise the concerns that if we lose these amazing musicians
from Wales, it would be incredibly difficult, then, to get them
back. As you know, the budget I inherited when I came into the
portfolio had unfortunately had significant cuts, and on top of
the funding the WNO received from the Arts Council England. It's
very unusual for an organisation in Wales to be funded by both of
the arts councils.85
I'm just about to write, actually, to the chief executives of
both of them to see if there's anything further we can do to
support the WNO, but I think the important bit was in the last
part of your question when you say about working together. I
think we all need to recognise the WNO don't just put on amazing
productions; they do a lot in the well-being and health sector.
They do a lot in the education sector. So, I am having
discussions with Cabinet colleagues to see if there's anything we
can do to support them in relation to that. And, of course, as
often points out to me,
it's absolutely the jewel in our crown from a global export point
of view.
15:38:55
Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. On behalf of the Petitions
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to introduce this debate
today on a subject that will be no stranger to Members here. This
petition was submitted by Susan Jane Jones-Davies, with 12,075
signatures. The petition reads: 'Increase, don't cut, funding for
the National Library, Amgueddfa Cymru and the Royal Commission'.
'We call upon the Welsh Government to increase spending on
institutions that safeguard the heritage and history of Wales—the
National Library of Wales, Amgueddfa Cymru and the Royal
Commission—instead of cutting funding by between 10.5 per cent
and 22.3 per cent. These institutions protect the historical and
cultural legacy of our nation, by collecting and preserving it,
and then showcasing it to everyone who lives in Wales. They also
provide the world with a window to our unique history.'
Dirprwy Lywydd, it's important to note that the figures quoted in
this petition were based on earlier drafts of the budget, and
that the final figures were indeed not so stark. But as the
petitioner notes, every £1 invested in the sector leads to
£5-worth of economic growth. They argue that holding on to the
institutions that sustain and grow our country and our
communities, thereby allowing future generations to build on the
solid foundations of past successes, is as important as ever.
Funding for the arts and culture in Wales has been a big topic in
my work over the last few months. Last week I met senior figures
from the Musicians' Union, who have been running a petition
calling for action now to save Welsh National Opera, another
national institution of world renown who are seeing a very bleak
future as funding gets squeezed and talent starts to hemorrhage.
