Continual funding cuts could threaten Art Centres futures across Powys

Fears have been raised that continual cuts to funding arts and culture in Powys, could eventually see facilities close.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee on Monday, January 31, councillors looked at a cut of just £62,738 being made to the funding for commissioned Arts Services next year.

This follows the exact same amount being cut this year, making a total of £125,476 over two years.

This will affect four arts venues including The Hafren Theatre in Newtown, the Wyeside Arts Centre in Builth Wells, as well as an art gallery and community dance organisation.

Cllr Gareth Jones said: “Having spoken to Hafren, they have extreme worries about whether they will be able to survive.

“Hafren use a lot of this as seed funding to attract further money to survive.”

Culture and leisure portfolio holder, Cllr Rachel Powell explained that these reductions had been agreed three years ago and would not be a “surprise”.

Cllr Powell said “Having some notice is helpful.

“We also have to be really mindful of the amount of arts organisations in Powys we don’t actually support.”

She said that it was estimated that there are up to 143 of these.

Cllr Powell said: “There are other sources of funding especially during Covid that arts organisations have been able to apply for.”

“There is plenty of support out there.”

Cllr Jones pointed out that if the bigger arts centres in Powys “fail” there would be a “knock on effect” to the arts groups below them that don’t receive funding,

Cllr Jones said: “Yes there’s been funding over the pandemic, but a lot of this funding will dry up very soon and then where are we going to be?”

Cllr Jackie Charlton said the arts centres had been forced to close because of the pandemic and then as public health measures eased  opened with restrictions to their capacity in place

Cllr Charlton said: “They are the centre of our communities, what’s happened here is they have been given life support just so that you can turn it off again and leave them without a breathing space.”

Cllr Charlton added that she had no confidence that the decision had been properly evaluated.

Cllr Powell said that four arts projects had successfully bid for grants totalling £25, 000 from the Powys Covid Recovery fund.

Cllr Powell added that she had been “surprised” that more organisations hadn’t applied.

Cllr Jeremy Pugh asked what the long-term plan,  as he believed art centres were suffering a “slow death.”

Cllr Powell replied: “It’s about working with them in view to public health and how arts and culture can support other initiatives under wellbeing.

“Long term it’s about collaboration, a future City of Culture bid would also raise the profile of arts and community groups and bring in further investment.”

The committee will feed back their view on the draft budget to be discussed again by the Independent/Conservative cabinet later this month.