Wrexham Council and Focus Wales awarded significant funding by Arts Council Wales

Wrexham Council has won a significant £200k multi year funding, and Wrexham based independent international cultural showcase Focus Wales has been awarded £100k, in the latest announcement from the Arts Council Wales.

The report details the multi year award for the arts service which is part of the Ty Pawb centre.

Overall the centre is forecast to have a budget pressure of £282k as a result of ‘lower than budgeted for income levels’ along with increased energy costs (£144k). Significant capital costs appear to be looming relating to roof / car park works.

The £200k sum is also a substantial uplift from the £120k / £115k continual revenue funding from the Arts Council that various iterations of the early business plans for the centre were expecting over a decade period.

After the report’s publication on Wednesday we asked Wrexham Council about the award, and how it would expand the offering in Ty Pawb.

Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member with responsibility for Tŷ Pawb said “This is a significant achievement for Ty Pawb, the Arts Team and all involved in creating a centre of National and International standing, Congratulations to them for putting together such a strong bid.

“Arts Council Wales have noted that this year’ application process was ‘highly competitive’ with a record number of bids. “For Tŷ Pawb to emerge as one of the 23 organisations to secure multi-year funding for the first time is a commendable reflection of the status it now holds as an elite Welsh cultural destination.

“This a reflection on the high standard and ambition of an arts programme that consistently and successfully blends local relevance with international significance.”

On the £100k Focus Wales award, the Arts Council Wales report notes “FOCUS Wales, based in Wrexham, will create multiple career development opportunities for music creators, creative freelancers and those at entry level to the music industry. It will also work closely with key partner organisations, including Power Up! and Disability Arts Cymru, to make sure that the opportunities are accessible to the widest number of potential beneficiaries.”

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

The organisation says Wrexham now has a £2.22 ‘funding per head of population’ – still miles off Flintshire (£11.81) Gwynedd (£14.03) , Cardiff (£13.09) and £19.09 in Ceredigion.

The news on Wednesday was not entirely positive, with National Theatre Wales saying they were “deeply shocked to receive news from Arts Council Wales that we have not been offered ongoing revenue funding from April 2024” – you may remember a recent piece of work on the streets of Wrexham where property developers took on protestors over a proposed redevelopment of St Giles in “A Proper Ordinary Miracle“.