Letter to the Daily Post and the Western Mail - Stephen's Review of Welsh Arts

10.06.00am GMT Thu 30th Nov 2006

Sir,

I, like my fellow opposition AMs, welcome the recommendations of the Stephen's Review of the Arts in Wales with open arms. It has proved without a doubt that Culture Minister Alun Pugh is desperately out of touch with the needs of those working within arts right across Wales.

However there is one serious correction I must make relating to your article on Thursday 30th November.

Alun Pugh did not order a review into the Arts in Wales. Far from it, in reality his desire to gain a stranglehold over the funding of the arts was only stopped by the outcries from opposition AMs from every party and the organisations whose futures would have been dictated by central government.

But thanks to our efforts my view, one shared by many, that the arts should stay in the hands of those who understand their needs has been vindicated by the Stephen's review.

Having the Arts Council move forward as an advocate for Welsh arts, working closely with local authorities to tailor access to the right arts for the right areas of Wales, and rewarding excellence within art rather than simply grabbing at the biggest named organisations suggests a bright future for our nation's cultural life.

The most important step now is to ensure that we consider every element of the review in preparation for next week's plenary debate, in order that the positive recommendations become reality.