Cutbacks could damage Powys arts venues
Fears have been raised that continual cuts to funding arts and culture could eventually see facilities close.
A cut of £62,738 could be made to the funding for arts services in Powys, making total cuts of £125,476 over two years after the same amount was slashed this year.
If it goes ahead then the cuts would affect four arts venues including The Hafren Theatre in Newtown, the Wyeside Arts Centre in Builth Wells, as well as an art gallery and community dance organisation.
A meeting of Powys County Council’s economy, residents and communities scrutiny committee considered the changes this week.
Councillor Gareth Jones said: “Hafren use a lot of this as seed funding to attract further money to survive.”
The council's culture and leisure portfolio holder, Councillor Rachel Powell, explained that the reductions had been agreed three years ago and would not be a surprise.
He said if the bigger arts centres in Powys failed there would be a knock on effect to the arts groups below them that don’t receive funding,
She said: “Having some notice is helpful. We also have to be really mindful of the amount of arts organisations in Powys we don’t actually support.”
The committee will feed back their view on the draft budget to be discussed again by the Independent/Conservative cabinet later this month.
