 County Art Forums Voluntary Arts Wales staff have been involved in the setting up and support of several of the forums over the past three years, as part of our work in supporting voluntary arts organisations and participation in the arts. Anglesey
Blaenau Gwent
Bridgend
Caerphilly
Cardiff
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Conwy
Denbighshire
Flintshire
Gwynedd
Merthyr Tydfil
Monmouthshire
Neath/Port Talbot
Newport
Pembrokeshire
Powys
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Swansea
Torfaen
Vale of Glamorgan
Wrexham
North Wales Four Forum Activities
VAW Forum Report
County Arts Forum Handbook
Hen Clecs - Forum Newsletter
Anglesey Arts Forum Case Study
Anglesey Arts Forum
Contact: Mike Gould 01407 763361
This is a relatively strong forum, with an active and dynamic committee. The forum has run two successful annual arts weeks, and its calendars for these events – lavishly illustrated and professionally produced – have become a respected catalogue of visual arts in the county.
Anglesey has no designated Arts Officer, but the forum does have a committed county councillor as a committee member. Determinedly independent, the committee manages its activities effectively, and is increasingly aware of the need to draw in new members both to the committee itself and the wider forum. This forum concentrates primarily on planning and administering the arts weeks.
Blaenau Gwent
Contact: Carys Wynne
01495 356060
01495 308996
www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/bgvew/artsdev.htm
No County Arts Forum. Arts Development look after three venues and a number of community projects. Historically strong on dance and participation.
Bridgend
Contact: Art & Culture Services
Bridgend County Borough Council
4th Floor
Sunnyside
Bridgend
CF31 4AR
Tel: +44 (0)1656 642685
Fax: +44 (0)1656 642676
e.mail; arts@bridgend.gov.uk
A team of three including leader Gill Elfyn Jones. There is no arts forum in existence although a number of meetings arranged along the lines of valley geography, art form or specialism (youth, people at risk, etc).
Caerphilly
Contact: Kate Strudwick
Senior Arts Development Officer
High Street
Blackwood
Gwent
NP11 1BB
01495 224425
STRUDK@CAERPHILLY.GOV.UK
Cardiff
Glender Charles
Arts Development Manager
St David's Hall
The Hayes
Cardiff
CF10 1SH
029 2087 8513
Fax: 029 2087 8517
Cardiff have no county arts forum. However, Adrian Ross is steering his community Cultural Strategy through Cardiff Council and they have hired a new officer who has a community remit.
Carmarthenshire
Contact: Eleri Retallick
Principal Arts Officer
Carmarthenshire County Council
Room 15 / Block 2
Parc Myrddin
Richmond Terrace
Carmarthen SA31 1DS
TEL 01267 228236
An arts officer supported organisation that has turned another corner and is developing steadily with an exciting programme of events for 2007 – 8 that comes from the grass roots! AGM is in MAY (date tbc) at Aberglasney Gardens concluding in a performance Ceredigion
No arts forum in existence
No County Arts Officer.
Arts Network Conwy
Contact: Eirian Roberts 01690 770 249
Originally set up and constituted in 2003, the network created a very striking and interactive website and had begun to develop a database within its first year. A year of much slower progress followed, before a new steering committee held a series of public meetings, adapted and re-adopted the constitution, and launched the forum again in the winter of 2004/5.
Since then, ANC has held an initial arts week, linking together artists, venues and organisations across the county, and is planning a similar series of events in Spring 2007. The second AGM, planned for September this year, is envisaged as one element in a day of workshops, participation and performances. Support from the County Council arts officer and the Cultural Services department has been very helpful, and the forum also receives sustained support from Conwy Voluntary Services and Menter Iaith Conwy.
Participation in events has encompassed individual and community artists and craft workers, small as well as larger venues, the YFC and others, and has drawn Welsh- and English-language artists and organisations closer together.
Denbighshire Arts Forum
Contact: Rhian Davey 01824 750507
After a first year in which they produced an excellent multi-colour arts newsletter, and collaborated with the council on an audit of arts activity, the forum went through a period of dormancy until quite recently. A very successful re-launch party this summer attracted over seventy people. The forum still has has a way to go before it can be confident of long term sustainability.
Other North Wales counties
Neither Flint nor Wrexham currently show any signs of developing arts forum structures. In discussions with the Arts Officers and Leisure Services Officers of both counties, I’ve received the impression that they currently feel it more helpful to develop art-form specific consultation procedures, and do not see any strong case, at the moment, for helping a county forum establish itself.
Gwynedd Arts Forum
Contact: Gwawr Wyn Roberts 01286679721
This is the strongest and most widely active of the North Wales forums, and is effectively supported by Gwynedd County Council, who provide secretarial and logistical support, financial backing, and involve the forum in their strategic planning. The Community Arts Officer serves as secretary to the forum.
The forum’s membership of over 600 encompasses all art forms, and the committee reflects the membership’s diversity, including two visual artists, two music organisations, a writer, two local government officers and two venue representatives. All the organisation’s meetings and communications are fully bilingual. Committee meetings are held in different parts of the county, and are frequently combined with events to showcase different artists and art forms. This forum has also run two successful county arts weeks, drawing artists and venues together who might not otherwise meet, and building and educating audiences. A recent development has been the production of a monthly newletter/ magazine for members, which has been well received. An open meeting on ‘Developing the arts in North Wales’, planned for late July, is attracting members from other forum committees as well as practitioners from all parts of Gwynedd.
The Gwynedd Arts Forum has recently created a new website to promote the arts in Gwynedd, North Wales. The site lists artists and arts venues, has a news section and also offers an accommodation booking service.
www.creativegwynedd.com introduces you to the arts and culture of Gwynedd. The site provides information on artists, arts centres and an accommodation booking service. Come to Gwynedd to experience the artistic talents of its people
Merthyr Tydfil
Contact: Gus Payne
Merthyr Tydfil CBC,
Arts, Culture & Tourism Section,
Civic Centre,
Castle Street,
Merthyr Tydfil,
United Kingdom
CF47 8AN
01685 725382
arts@merthyr.gov.uk
Meets regularly. Quietly effective and efficient Monmouthshire Arts Alliance
Contact: Esko Reinikainen
Monmouthshire County Council
Floor 5
County Hall
Cwmbrân
NP44 2XH
01633644974
EskoReinikainen@monmouthshire.gov.uk
A new arts forum. Monmouthshire Arts Alliance Adopted its constitution in the spring. Six focus group meetings around the county established not only the need for a forum but the form it might take and the first year’s action plan.
MonmouthshireArtsAlliance@yahoogroups.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MonmouthshireArtsAlliance/
Neath/Port Talbot
Contact: Lynda Lawrence
Tel. 01639 889907
l.lawrence1@npt.gov.uk
Cultural Services Officer - Community Arts
No arts forum in this area.
Newpart – Celfnewydd
Contact: Nic Cadman
The Riverfornt
Bristol Packet Wharf
Newport
South Wales
NP20 1HG
01633656637
nicholas.cadman@newport.gov.uk
A new forum spurred on by the building of Newport’s new Flagship Art Centre, The Riverfront.
Newpart is the youngest of the forums in South Wales, having a newly adopted constitution and a successful launch last summer. A formal launch is being planned for October 2006, bringing together the arts community of Newport, the art college in Caerleon and a number of support agencies as a networking springboard.
They have one of the most exciting and innovative websites which acts as a reflection of the very close arts community of Newport in all its forms. They also recently established links with Gwynedd Arts Forum.
www.newpart.co.uk
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newpart/
Pembrokeshire
Contact: Christine Willison
Pembrokeshire Arts Officer
Tel. 01437 775246
Christine.willison@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
County Library, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
No arts forum in existence
Powys
Contact: Lucy Bevan
Powys Arts Development Officer
Tel. 01597 827564
Lucinda.bevan@powys.gov.uk
St. Johns Offices,
Fiveways,
Llandrindod,
Wells,
Powys. LD1 5ES
Chair Ginny Graham
Bron Cafnant
Llanfair Caereinion
Welshpool
SY21 0BD
Tel. 01938 811001
ginny@ginny.fsbusiness.co.uk
Powys Arts Forum A very strong and determined committee group who have managed to secure a one day a week secondment from the Arts Officer to help them especially with their Arts month programme. Ingredient X running from 10th October – 15th August. But have cut the links with development officers from VAW and PAVO at their committee meetings and have decided to drop the European Bid for marketing the arts in Powys and also the use of the secretariat arrangement with a local community arts organisation.
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Contact: Strinda Davies
Senior Arts Development Officer
Ty Trevithick
Abercynon
Rhondda Cynon Taf
01443 744096
strinda.i.davies@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk
Rhondda Cynon Taf don't have a county art forum. Strands and thematic groups meet across the county. A new Strategic Arts Forum is being formed to feed into the community Strategy- economic and cultural regeneration section.
Swansea
Contact: Jeanne Marshall
jeanne.m@ntlworld.com
Swansea Art Forum Trust
The Dylan Thomas Centre
Swansea
SA1 1RR
01792 463980
Swansea Arts Forum Trust no longer has a development manager, but employs a freelance editor to produce 'Platform', their arts magazine, which is posted out to members, and can also be collected from various venues. If you wish to advertise in Platform, please contact .Jeanne.m@ntlworld.com. The articles from our magazine will also be up on our website. Membership for SAFT starts from as little as £5 per year. For this you may have information and photos of your work, including a link to your own website if you wish. This will be in the Artists section on the SAFT website. This is at the moment being re-vamped to include a notice board for your comments. Watch out in Platform for its re-launch in October. Torfaen
Contact: Sue Johnson
Torfaen County Borough Council
Civic Centre
Pontypool
Torfaen
NP4 6YB
sue.johnson@torfaen.gov.uk
A more mature art forum than those of Newport and Monmouthshire, chaired by Hywel Pontin, director of Llantarnam Grange Art Centre.
Vale of Glamorgan
Contact: Tracey Harding
Arts Development Manager
Leisure Department
Dock Office
Barry Dock
Barry
CF63 4RT
01446704724
TCHarding@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
Slow but steady work around the formation of an arts forum. As with many of the local authorities, there exists a number of networks that work closely with the ADO and other agencies but after a few meetings of negotiation there is no formal forum in place.
‘Four Forums’ activities
Following a meeting between representatives of the four forums, Siân Tomos of ACW and myself in November 2005, the four North Wales forums have agreed that committee members will meet regularly to share problems and aspirations, and will develop better collaboration in such areas as publicity and marketing. VAW and ACW have agreed to support training for forum committees, especially marketing and membership development, and will support the development of a quarterly newsletter linking the four committees.
The Gwynedd forum has also held two open evenings to share ideas with other N.Wales forums during 2006.
A handbook for county arts forum committee members This guide is intended to help members of arts forum committees and steering groups, as they engage with the challenging task of carrying the forum’s work forwards. Perhaps the most important words that need to be said at the very beginning are “Thank you”; if it were not for the enterprise and enthusiasm of people like you, the arts in Wales would be even more under-represented, underfunded, and unco-ordinated than they are today. We at VAW also want to assure you that we’ll be around to support and advise you, in any way we can, as you and your forum continue to move forward.
The second most important thing to say at this stage is “Everything is possible.” Despite the challenges and difficulties we’ll look at later, arts forums across Wales have already achieved great things in a short time. And as well as ourselves, the forums can rely on many friends and sympathisers, able and willing to offer useful support.
County Arts Forum handbook (doc - 325k) VAW Forum Report This Report aims to share information regarding the development of the county art forums throughout Wales. Report on the Development of the County Art Forums in Wales (pdf - 345k) Anglesey Arts Forum Case Study Island Arts Week developed from some of the ideas expressed the first Annual General Meeting of the Anglesey Arts Forum in May 2003. The committee came up with a pilot project; various arts activities over the February half term week 2004. The week would provide an opportunity to celebrate the rich and varied creative talents on Anglesey and achieve the Forum’s aims:
“promote, encourage and support individuals and organisations interested in the practice, promotion and access to the arts and culture on the Isle of Anglesey”.
Anglesey Arts Forum Case Study in full (doc - 81k) Hen Clecs
newsletter of the county arts forums in wales September 2004
(doc - 44k) April 2004 (doc - 30k) Since we launched this newsletter as a one-year pilot project to be passed over to the forums, and as we never received a single contribution, we discontinued this publication at the end of 2004 |
