THE ARTS campaign camapaign4creativity, has set up an e-petition with the Welsh Assembly to put pressure on the Art Council Wales after it cut funding to the art organisations in Powys.
The campaign4creativity has been campaigning over the past months to try and ensure the continuation of County Council funding after Theatr Powys lost their Art’s Council of Wales annual revenue funding which amouted to around 50 per cent of the overall funding, and with Powys County Council under pressure to make its own cut backs the future for the theatre is bleak.
Baely Saunders, a spokesperson for the campaign said: “The ACW was set up to administer our money, money raised by our taxes for Welsh Assembly Government funding of the Arts. It was set up to administer these funds without political bias or interference, to be autonomous, but this smacks of dictatorship and they are totally, and inexplicably free of accountability. This is undemocratic and their actions are entirely lacking in transparency.
“The petition is Save Theatr Powys and Mid Powys Youth Theatre.
“Signing the petition might have more of an effect than you’d think – a 1,200 strong e-petition from Gwent Theatre (and Gwent Young People’s Theatre) received assurance of support from Welsh Assembly Government Members and the Petitions Committee has re-called Nick Capaldi, the ACW chief executive to appear before them on January 25 to explain the apparent lack of transparency on how decisions were reached.”
Baely believes that the money that they have lost has not been cut, but has been moved, with National Theatre Wales and the Welsh National Opera getting big funding increases at the expense of grass root art organisations such as Theatr Powys and CARAD.
“We already have over 700 names, but we need more,” she added. “There is disquiet among ACW members regarding the cuts. They are rattled. We need to have a petition worthy of consideration by the assembly as soon as possible so please, when you’re next online – click the tick and pass it on.”
Links to the petition can be found on the campaign4creativity facebook page or by going to www.assemblywales.org/gethome/e-petitions/sign-petition.