Coronavirus: Clarity urged over how £59m will benefit Welsh arts sector

Concerns are being raised in Wales about how £59 million of funding announced as part of the government’s investment package will be distributed to the country’s at-risk arts sector.

Organisations and artists in Wales are "on their knees" as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, members of the Senedd have warned, meaning they urgently need clarity as to whether the promised support can be delivered.

Reports had suggested that the £59 million announced may only amount to as little as £12.5 million for the entire Welsh economy, following calculations carried out after chancellor Rishi Sunak’s summer statement last week.

It is now understood that the arts settlement will be counted separately to this, however the money can be used for any purpose by the Welsh government, which has not confirmed how it intends to spend any new funding.

Welsh arts organisations welcomed the news of the UK government’s £1.57 billion rescue package earlier this month, which came with assurances that that the funding would mean an extra £188 million for devolved administrations, including £59 million for Wales.

The allocation – including £33 million for Northern Ireland and £97 million for Scotland – was calculated using the Barnett Formula, which stipulates that when the UK government decides to commit to spending in England, an equivalent amount must be distributed among the other nations to spend at their discretion.

When the issue was raised in the Senedd by Plaid Cymru MS Siân Gwenllian, ministers said they could not yet confirm what funding will be made available for the arts.