CC(3) AC 07
September 10th, 2010
Presenting Evidence
Ensemble Cymru would welcome the opportunity to present evidence in person alongside specialists in the field of classical music in Wales from Bangor University.
Ensemble Cymru would particularly welcome an opportunity to present evidence regarding the state of classical music in Wales relative to other art forms alongside experts in the field from Bangor University.
About Ensemble Cymru
Ensemble Cymru (incorporated September 2001) is a registered charity no.1090316 with an annual turnover ranging between £90,000 and £120,000. It is Ensemble-in-Residence at Venue Cymru(Llandudno), North Wales International Music Festival(St. Asaph), Rydal Penrhos School(Colwyn Bay), Gwyl Fama (nr Mold) and Bangor University. It presents between 100 and 200 chamber music events a year including concerts for primary and secondary schools, talks, public performances, and coaching through its Chamber Music Academy. During the last five years it has reached over 50,000 people of all ages with classical music. During 2009-2010 it was active in all six counties of north Wales. It was shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Music in 2006, is cited in the Arts Council of Wales 2008-2013 Strategic Plan as of being of strategic importance. Its income is derived from a mix of sources: In kind, lottery, earned income and
donations. Its Artistic Director was awarded Welsh Music Guild award for service to music in Wales in 2008 and the company was featured on BBC2’s Working Lunch in 2007.
Ensemble Cymru is a member of the Association of British Orchestras(ABO).
Adrian Barsby Chairman
Ensemble Cymru response to Communities and Culture Committee ‘accessibility of arts and cultural activities in 1. Do you consider the Welsh Government to have achieved its commitment of
ensuring that ‘high-quality cultural experiences are available to all people, irrespective of where they live or their background?’ How effective has its investment in arts and cultural activities been in realising this objective?
We consider that in certain areas of the Arts Welsh Government investment has been effective including dance, drama and literature. The addition of Galeri Caernarfon and the proposed Arts and Innovation Centre in Bangor represent welcome
investment into the arts.
There has been little evidence of significant advances in giving access to high-quality cultural experiences through the Welsh language to people and children of all ages for whom Welsh is their second language or who don’t speak Welsh
However it is harder to say that in the case of classical music and especially chamber and chamber orchestra that there has been much impact.
According to the 2008 Arts Council of Wales Children’s Omnibus less than 10% of children and young people has ever experienced a live classical music event. There has been no signficant increase in opportunity for audiences across Wales
to experience high quality contemporary art music especially that of composers of Wales.
There have been significant cuts in instrumental teaching in schools impacting on numbers of children and young people capable of
o Engaging with and appreciating art music or classical music in its broadest sense
o Participating in music at a high level
There has been a decline in the number of rural music societies and clubs in recent years though to a limited extent this non professional capacity to promote the arts locally has been offset by the Night Out scheme.
2. How exactly are arts and cultural venues – including museums, libraries and archives – actively promoting access, attracting new audiences and encouraging participation in line with the One Wales commitment and the Arts Council’s strategies?
The Ensemble regards digital technology as presenting a signficant opportunity for Arts in Wales to reach communities and schools in rural regions building audiences, informing, educating and involving.
Some larger-scale venues have the manpower and expertise to develop the use of new media. Other, smaller companies/concerns/artists have not.
Though detail is currently sketchy the announcement of a funding stream by Arts Council of Wales to enable the Arts in Wales to engage with new
technologies is welcome
Welsh Assembly Government should support the use of new media by the Arts industry not only for the benefit of the people in Wales, but for the world-wide promotion of the arts and artistic activity in Wales.
Venue Cymru and Ensemble Cymru
o In September 2010 Ensemble Cymru became resident orchestral ensemble at north Wales’ main venue for classical music. The residency builds on a partnership with the venue’s management that has existed for some years. Venue Cymru and Ensemble Cymru will
Present high quality performances informing audiences and visitors of Wales distinct heritage in classical music
Develop an outreach programme for the Venue reaching schools and communities in isolated areas across north Wales
Complement the work of visiting arts companies supporting the development of audiences for their work
Support Venue Cymru initiatives for hands on activities for young people such as Take pArt
North Wales International Music Festival and Ensemble Cymru
o By means of a summer roadshow to major events across north Wales the Festival and Ensemble reach over 10,000 people annually.
o By promoting the Ensemble’s work in the festival it is able to give people the opportunity to experience Wales’ heritage and contemporary Welsh composers’ work.
Ensemble Cymru response to Communities and Culture Committee ‘accessibility of arts and cultural activities in 3. Is the current network of arts and cultural venues in Wales sufficient, and are there
any geographic or other issues that continue to act as barriers to participation (eg in rural areas or areas of deprivation)?
Audiences across Wales do not have access to new work due to the lack of core support for research and development for production companies to develop new work and to support emerging composers Audiences do not have access to recordings and performances of
chamber music from Wales’ heritage in this area. Most chamber music from Wales’ heritage exists in the National Library of Wales in manuscript or is ‘missing’. This includes music by major figures such as Grace Williams and Daniel Jones. The lack of immediately available high quality editions and recordings of these works presents
significant barriers to the Ensemble’s promotion of these works to people of all ages in Wales.
4. What will be the impact of the Arts Council’s Investment Review on the network of venues and cultural activities that take place across Wales? Do you consider that the Arts Council’s decision to discontinue funding to 32 organisations, as a result of the Investment Review, will have a significant impact on the accessibility of cultural venues or activities? Does a concentration of funding avoid it being spread too thinly, and achieving little?
It is hard to see how focusing the entire Arts Councils’ Regular Funded
Organisations funding for classical music production in Cardiff (WNO, BBCNOW, Music Theatre Wales, Sinfonia Cymru, National Youth Orchestra of Wales.) can be the most effective strategy for enabling access to high quality and
sustainable classical music production across Wales considering the country’s geographical and transport infrastructure challenges.
A significant difference between Revenue Funding and Lottery funding is that the former implies a longer term commitment and thus greater security for the recipient whilst the latter implies a commitment per project rarely more than 12 months and thus less security. It would be helpful to address whether lottery could be used strategically as well as on a project by project basis depending on the circumstance.
There will be some negative impact on classical music in north Wales following the Arts Council Investment. The North Wales International Music Festival has lost its revenue funding whilst financial support for north Wales’ major classical music venue, Venue Cymru is as yet undefined.
Ensemble Cymru response to Communities and Culture Committee ‘accessibility of arts and cultural activities in 5. The Welsh Government will not be announcing the Arts Council’s budget for
2011-2012 until December 2010. What impact do you believe a reduction in the Arts Council’s budget would have on the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales?
6. Do you have any concerns about the variation in range and quality of local authority cultural services and activities provided across Wales? Are local authorities adequately resourced to consistently fund and support cultural activities in the current economic climate?
Should the Assembly budget be less than standstill the reduction will mean less
a. quality art with productions being unable to afford artistes of sufficient calibre.
b. Fewer rural communities being able to access quality art because of reduced or cancelled touring.
c. Risk to existence of organisaitons currently depending on lottery due to significant uplift in demand from 32 extra organisations (former RFO clients) competing for this limited fund including festivals. This demand will increas if existing RFO offers by ACW have to be rescinded.
Local authority support for the arts in Wales is inconsistent – there is major regional variation.
The support of Gwynedd and Mon county councils (£7000) has enabled the Ensemble to draw considerable match funding to bring classical music to audiences and schools across these counties.
As far as the Ensemble is aware significant support from County Councils has historically gone to supporting ‘bricks and mortar’ including museums, venues and galleries with only limited support being available if at all for a diverse range of production companies such as orchestral ensembles
Greater working on a regional level would be welcome combining limited resources to greater effect.
7. The Arts Council of Wales’s 2008 Omnibus Survey suggested that people who were professionals, qualified or involved in non-manual work were more likely to attend an art event than those who were Skilled or semi-skilled manual workers, and non-working people. Is this consistent with your own experiences? Can you provide an explanation for this variation, and how can this variation be addressed?
Our experience is consistent with the findings of the Omnibus Survey. We believe that
o the Education system has a crucial role to play in giving the confidence and the literacy to young people from across the social strata to appreciate and participate in the Arts.
o People who have been regularly exposed to high quality and engaging arts experiences as children and been supported by their education to debate and understand their experiences have the confidence to continue attending arts events into adulthood.
o People who have had regular opportunities to participate in the creation of high quality arts and received adequate training in their formative years have the confidence in their skills to continue to participate as adults
From our experience the vast majority of schools and especially primary schools welcome and value extremely highly the unique educational experience for their children provided by regular high quality performances of classical music.
Many schools recognise the role that the professional arts can play in the continuing professional development of their staff and the lasting legacy within a school that a sustained relationship with professional arts organisations can provide.
It would seem that inorder to address the variation suggested by the Arts Omnibus that
o a proportion of the education budget should be ringfenced so as to enable schools to make regular visits to venues in their locality to experience high quality and inspirational art productions.
o an awareness and understanding of the arts should be a part of the continuing professional development of teachers especially in primary schools.
o The education system should address the decline in basic standards of musical literacy among young people and children through the training of teachers in internationally acknowledged methods such as Kodaly and
Ensemble Cymru response to Communities and Culture Committee ‘accessibility of arts and cultural activities in
8. The Arts Council of Wales’s 2008 Omnibus Survey suggested that younger adults were more likely to attend an arts event than older adults. Is this consistent with your own experiences? Can you provide an explanation for this variation, and how can this variation be addressed?
9. The Arts Council of Wales’s 2008 Omnibus Survey suggested that females were more likely to attend an arts event than males. Is this consistent with your own experiences? Can you provide an explanation for this variation, and how can this variation be addressed?
No response offered
Many arts productions are held in the evening presenting significant challenges to older audience members attending due to lack of public transport.
Younger adults are drawn to arts events because of the following – o children and their interest in the arts
o having additional income which enables them to afford to attend such events.
The variance could be addressed by
o Venues and promoters developing ongoing relationships with agencies and networks serving older peoples needs so as to identify and overcome particular barriers to older people attending arts events
o Ensuring that the public transport system and scheduling is linked in with venues’ and promoters programmes
10. The Arts Council of Wales’s 2008 Omnibus Survey suggested that Welsh Language Speakers were more likely to directly participate in the arts than non Welsh Language Speakers. Is this consistent with your own experiences? Can you provide an explanation for this variation, and how can this variation be addressed?
11. Are you aware of any other significant variations in the public’s attendance
and participation in the arts and cultural activities (for example based on ethnic background, disabilities, location in an urban or rural area)?
No response offered
The Eisteddfod tradition annually successfully presents opportunities for people of all ages to perform and participate in the arts. Involving as it does a significant number of people of all ages either learning Welsh or for whom Welsh is their first language. It would be logical to assume that in developing a habit for participation in the arts within this group over time would go some way to explain the variance.
o The variation could be addressed by rewarding innovative approaches that enable non Welsh speakers to engage with the Eisteddfodic tradition in their locality
Ensemble Cymru response to Communities and Culture Committee ‘accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales’ 10-09-2010 tel: 01248 383 257 email: [email protected]
12. Are there any further comments you'd like to make about the accessibility of arts and cultural activities in Wales?
Wales has a distinct geographical challenge which the Ensemble does not believe is best answered by concentrating professional production capacity in its capital.
Whilst accepting the need and indeed celebrating a vibrant arts community in a country’s capital it is yet to be demonstrated that this capacity is sufficient to meet a national remit in a country with its particular challenge of rural geography and with few centres of high
population
There is no classical music radio channel serving Wales’ population or with a credible broadcasting policy for Welsh classical music creators past and present.
In the absence of a proactive approach from BBC Radio 3 a greater incentive for BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru to commission and broadcast programmes in relation to Wales’ heritage and contemporary culture in chamber music, its musicians and its composers as befits their educational remit would be welcome.
There is significant imbalance in Arts Council investment between classical music production and presentation in metropolitan South Wales and the rural regions of Wales leading to an imbalance in opportunity for people of all ages in those areas.
In response to a query by the Ensemble to the Scottish Arts Council evidence was given that professional chamber orchestras and chamber ensembles in Scotland receive £2.75 million (approx 50p per head) direct support from the tax payer (as opposed to lottery funding) whereas this figure is £0 in Wales.
Professional orchestral ensembles (chamber orchestras and ensembles) serving regional communities outside Cardiff have significant potential to offer a highly cost effective and high value mechanism to help the Assembly Government meet its aspiration and particularly
o Reaching older people and children in isolated communities with high quality cultural offer promoting both Wales’ distinctive traditions as well as those of countries across the globe.
o Enriching the education and broadening horizons of children and young people in hard to reach rural schools
o Offering opportunities for aspiring and professional musicians in rural regions to develop skills and gain experience
o Help retain highly skilled individuals in rural areas and enhance the area’s attraction to those visiting or living in the area.
o Complementing and enhancing the distinct Welsh cultural offer offered to visitors currently provided by museums, art galleries and venues. E.g. supporting churches tourism network, enhancing the culural offer of major regional agricultural events, food festivals and Eisteddfodau
o Providing high level work experience and internships for young people in their locality
o Being a part of an aspirational and rich environment for children and young people to grow up in
o Contributing to the promotion of the region e.g. enhancing trade missions,
