Responding to the Welsh Government budget, which included a 10.5% cut for the Arts Council of Wales, CEO Dafydd Rhys said:
“Our current budget is lower than it was in 2010 which means that we have already lost a third of our real-terms funding since then. This significant new cut of 10.5% will make it even more challenging to ensure that high quality arts activity is available across Wales for all our communities. The invaluable work that we support in Arts and Health, Education, the Welsh language and our work in widening engagement will be affected - all of which are Government priorities. In fact, this provisional budget of £30.429m for 2024/25 is the lowest since 2007/08.
“It’s worth noting that approximately 90% of the funding we receive is distributed all over Wales to organisations and creative individuals which means that the impact of the cut will affect communities the length and breadth of the country.
“Wales is a nation that has always valued the arts. We will look at all our costs and prioritise the available funds under this proposed budget for the broader sector and the Investment Review. Whilst one accepts that these are extremely difficult fiscal times for the government, we also need to consider as a nation what we believe to be the right level of funding for the arts and the communities we serve throughout Wales.”