New Arts Council Members appointed by Welsh Government

1 Apr 2019 10:55 AM

Seven new members have been appointed to the Arts Council of Wales by Lord Elis-Thomas, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism.

The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) is the voice of the arts in Wales and uses public funds to create opportunities for people to enjoy and take part in the arts.

Funded largely by the Welsh Government – but also a National Lottery distributing body and a registered charity – ACW aims to encourage active participation in the arts, and for high quality cultural experiences to be available to all people, irrespective of where they live or their background.

Council Members fulfil an important role in supporting a dynamic and creative arts sector. Collectively they are responsible for ensuring the effective and proper investment of Welsh Government and Lottery funding.

Council members are also responsible for:

• setting the strategic direction for the Arts Council
• developing, implementing and monitoring arts policy
• agreeing the Corporate and Operational Plans
• setting the annual budget
• annual allocation of grants to revenue funded organisations
• ensuring that the Arts Council manages its affairs effectively and accountably

Lord Elis-Thomas recently said:

I’m very pleased to see such a diverse range of appointees all of whom have vast experience of the arts sector. Diversity and inclusion on panels and councils is not just the right thing to do but is important to the business agenda. Organisations are at their best when there is a diversity of culture, thinking and perspective.

With a working knowledge of the current challenges facing arts organisations, ACW and those working in the arts, I’m confident these individuals possess the ability to think creatively about how these issues can be addressed.

Arts Council Wales Chair Phil George added:

As a public body, Arts Council of Wales has a desire and responsibility to make arts experiences available all across the diverse communities of Wales. Our new Council members have been chosen because they bring vision, experience and powerful skills sets to realising that ambition. They have a strong grasp of what it takes to make the arts truly available to people across the land.

I am excited at the contribution and challenges they will bring to the Council table.