National Theatre Wales Receives 100% Cut from Arts Council of Wales

National Theatre Wales has had its funding completely cut in the latest Wales funding review.

Theatr Clwyd and Welsh National Opera will receive £1.8 million and £4.1 million annually, respectively.

In total, the Arts Council has offered 81 creative organisations conditional grants of almost £30 million. 23 organisations have been offered multi-year funding by the Arts Council of Wales for the first time. 

Successful organisations will be funded from the 2024/25 financial year. 

National Theatre Wales previously received £1.6m from Arts Council Wales in 2015-16. It stated that it was "deeply shocked" to hear the news and "the well-being of our staff and the theatre makers and communities we work with is paramount."

Opera company Mid Wales Opera was also stripped of its funding. The company released a statement on social media saying: "we are deeply disappointed and indeed shocked at the news that - after 35 years of staging remarkable opera across the length and breadth of Wales - the Arts Council has decided not to offer us multi-annual funding."

Other organisations cut include Eleni, Hafren, Head4Arts, Impelo, Rubicon Dance, Taliesin Arts Centre and Trac Cymru.

Based in locations across Wales, some of the newly funded organisations in receipt of annual funding include Elysium Gallery in Swansea, which will receive £120,000; FOCUS Wales in Wrexham, which will get £100,000; Neuadd Ogwen in Bethesda, which will gain £125,000; and Urban Circle in Newport, which will receive £275,000. 

Arts Council of Wales Chief Executive, Dafydd Rhys said:

“This Investment Review represents a very positive shift for the arts in Wales, one which will lead to new opportunities for people of all backgrounds to engage with, and enjoy creativity of the highest quality.

“We had a record number of applications this year for our funding, with 139 eligible organisations. 

“We were very pleased to be able to fund 81 organisations across Wales, although we recognise that we could not fund everybody, or fund all organisations to the level which they would like. 

“The decision not to continue funding for some organisations will no doubt be much debated, which is something we welcome – however our Strategic Interventions will respond to any gaps created in relevant sectors as a result of our decisions. 

“The Investment Review sits alongside our other Arts Council of Wales programmes including Creative Learning, Arts & Health, Wales Arts International and Night Out and our other funding opportunities, including Creative Steps, our International Opportunities Fund and Create.”

Read the statement from Arts Council Wales in full here.

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