The Stage

Welsh local authorities to be legally required to promote culture

Published Tuesday 19 August 2008 at 14:55 by Lalayn Baluch

Wales’ new heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones has vowed to make the promotion of culture a legal obligation for local authorities, in a bid to ensure that everyone in the country has equal access to the arts.

The announcement was made during a keynote speech at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff - Wales’ largest and oldest arts festival - where Jones was outlining his vision for his new department.

He said the country had not yet succeeded in delivering all of the objectives of the Welsh Assembly Government’s culture strategy, which had recommended that creative development should be made one of the main tasks of local councils.

Jones said: “During the next three years, we wish to place a statutory duty upon our local authorities to promote culture and the arts. This is not for control’s sake. Rather, it reflects our desire to provide high quality cultural experiences to each and every one of our communities in the spirit of the One Wales programme [the country’s coalition agreement].

“I’m confident that the change will be a means by which the status of culture can be raised in the activities of local authorities - currently the pattern varies too greatly across Wales.”

The news was broadly welcomed by Lorna Brown - chair of the National Association of Local Government Arts Officers, and head of arts and cultural strategy at West Sussex County Council - who believes the move could strengthen the position of the arts, which is currently a discretionary service that local authorities can opt out of delivering.

But she added: “We know there is resistance to any more duties being imposed on councils in England, and statutory requirement without adequate budgets will not be a great improvement, so we are watching the outcome in Wales with great interest.

“We hope any duty to provide will come with the funding to make it effective. If that can be achieved, there will be a strong case for England [to follow suit].”

National Campaign for the Arts director Louise de Winter said that while the move could be worthwhile, the industry would need to know more about how it would impact at a local level, and the consequences it would have on arts organisations.

She explained: “I think we like the idea that someone is putting the emphasis and importance on delivery of the arts. What we would like to know is how does that translate into action on the ground? We would welcome knowing more about it.”