Investment Review 2023: Arts Council of Wales announces new funding for 81 Wales-based organisations

Arts Council of Wales has offered 81 creative organisations conditional grants of almost £30m following the results of its 2023 Investment Review process.

The Investment Review provides multi-year funding for organisations, allocating a total of £29.6m funding from Welsh Government and the National Lottery.

23 organisations will be offered multi-year funding by the Arts Council of Wales for the very first time. Based in locations across Wales and delivering arts of the highest quality, some of these newly funded organisations include Elysium Gallery in Swansea, FOCUS Wales in Wrexham, Neuadd Ogwen in Bethesda and Urban Circle in Newport.

Arts Council of Wales noted a record number of applications was received, in what it described as a “highly competitive process”.

Organisations were asked to respond to the Arts Council of Wales’s Six Principles – Creativity, Widening Engagement, Welsh Language, Climate Justice, Nurturing Talent, and Transformation.

The decision-making process also incorporated five balancing factors: including a wide range of artforms and creative opportunities; serving communities across Wales; supporting underfunded and unheard voices; public value; and the size and shape of applicant organisations.

Reflecting its commitment to Widening Engagement, the Arts Council of Wales’s Investment Review will also bring a greater range of diversity to the arts in Wales, with funding offered to culturally and ethnically diverse led organisations, including Fio and Jukebox in Cardiff, as well as an increased representation on boards of D/deaf and disabled people.

More Welsh Language led organisations will be offered funding than in previous rounds, including Theatr Soar in Merthyr Tydfil and Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw in Llanbedrog, Pen Llŷn.

More than £10.5m of the Investment Review funding will go to local venues across the country, bringing arts and creativity to the heart of our communities.

Those receiving funding include Awen Cultural Trust who manage a range of theatres across local authorities: the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, Maesteg Town Hall and Blaengarw Workmen’s Hall in Bridgend County Borough Council; The Metropole, Abertillery in Blaenau Gwent; and The Muni Pontypridd in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

In addition to venues, £4m is allocated to Theatre and nearly £2.5m for Community Arts.

In recognition that there are still areas with gaps or reduced access to arts activities, Arts Council of Wales also announced that they will fund a series of strategic interventions to provide additional support to areas or artforms which are under-served. These commitments include supporting RAMPS Cymru to improve the representation of disabled people across the theatre sector in Wales, and a review of traditional music.