Arts Council Wales to receive £1m new funding

That Welsh government has announced that arts and cultural organisations will receive £1m in new funding in this financial year, distributed through the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) as part of a £157m package that will support other services, including the NHS and schools.

The money for ACW is in addition to the £1.5m the Welsh government announced in September as part of a funding package for culture and sport worth £5m, and follows a £3.5m cut to the funding body’s budget at the end of last year.

“I’m pleased to announce additional funding this year to protect jobs and organisations in our arts sector,” said the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, Jack Sargeant.

“We have a very strong arts sector in Wales, which develops and supports world-class Welsh talent. This investment, for 60 arts organisations, including the Welsh National Opera, Wrexham Sounds and Blackwood Miners’ Institute, will provide vital support for our cultural organisations.”

The new £157m funding package – a combination of revenue and capital – is for the financial year 2024-25. The draft budget, which sets out the Welsh government’s spending plans for the next financial year, 2025-26, will be published on 10 December.