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Friday, October 06, 2023
‘Deeply shocked’ National Theatre Wales may close in six months after funding cut
Theatre | The Guardian: National Theatre Wales (NTW) has warned that it will be forced to close in six months’ time after its multi-year funding was withdrawn by the Arts Council of Wales (ACW).
When I worked for an NGO theatre organisation this summer, I realised how much some theatre companies (no matter what kind of work they do) rely so much on government funding. I was shocked to find that the Arts Council of Wales is cutting back on funding for NTW. Although they say ACW can apply for other funding, I think the theatre is still put on a lot of burden before the next funding (if there’s one) comes. It seems like NTW is quite passive in this situation, waiting for the ACW’s next action, and there’s not much NTW can do about it. Especially when the theatre is so big, and has such an important role for the theatre community in Wales. I don’t know Wale’s theatre company structure, but it does sound like many people and organisations will be affected with this change. Since theatre community is usually pretty small, I can only imagine the chain effect it has on others.
Similar to Selina, I am very shocked that the government is cutting funding for the NTW, especially after all these years of support. With a theater of this size and caliber, and such a good reputation with over 100,000 contributors, you normally wouldn't expect them to have financial instability. This really opens my eyes on the reliance these organizations have on these funding sources. But it also raises the question to me as to why they did not have other sources of funding throughout the years. Though the article didn't specify why their funding was being cut back, I can only speculate that it was due to how large their company was. The government probably deduced that they would be able to find other sources of donations or grants to sustain themselves at this point and wanted to use their funds elsewhere to support maybe smaller organizations, and therefore more quantity wise.
It is so hard to realize that even if organizations are so impactful in a community with one movement they can simply not exist ever again. It is shocking to me that it was even considered since there are so many people that work at NTW and it is such a powerful theatre in itself. I did not think that the government was funding such an important place, especially not a theatre. I am not sure what in my brain conditioned me to think that most theatre’s are not funded by the government so reading this article it was a shock. It is hard to read that in the spring they simply just cannot work and that they will have to shut down and they really have noncontrol over it. One fact that made me upset was when they said that NTW can apply for the other fundings. It is ridiculous that they have to apply if they have been funded for 15 years.
I wonder what the reasoning ACW had to close the National Theater Wales. It seems like their funding isn’t exactly going to another theater company, rather than a variety of places, meaning that there may or may not be nearly as much representation of theater in the arts in Wales. It is especially surprising, as I assume they were aware of how much their funding supported the National Theater Wales, and all of it’s employees, and so the fact that now they may have to close is tragic. They mentioned other grants, but I wonder if there are any other ways as well that the NTW can raise money to continue, as they seem to make a large impact on the arts community in Wales, and to close so suddenly may create a large ripple. Sadly we are seeing many theaters close currently due to financial struggles or other problems, often tying back to how hardly they were all hit during Covid. However this situation is unique as it doesn’t seem to be an issue with covid, but rather the government’s choices which leads me back to my thought of why specifically the ACW would choose to withdraw funding - I assume there must be a reason considering they’d been willing to support the NTW up until now. I hope the NTW can figure out a way to stay open, or that the theater community in Wales can find other opportunities to thrive so the impact of the NTW doesn’t die out.
The alarming news of the potential closure of National Theatre Wales following a funding cut raises a poignant question about the role of the arts in reflecting societal narratives. A recent Instagram post resonated with me, asserting that in an era where trust in politicians and scientists wavers, the arts bear the responsibility of articulating the pulse of our world. However, the predicament faced by institutions like National Theatre Wales throws into sharp relief the paradoxical challenge—how can the arts fulfill this responsibility without adequate financial support? Withdrawal of funding becomes a significant impediment to the very essence of the arts: mirroring the multifaceted realities of society. Without the resources to sustain creative endeavors, the ability to provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives diminishes. This potential loss is not just to the artistic community but to society at large, as it risks silencing a crucial avenue for collective reflection and dialogue. The situation underscores the importance of recognizing the arts as essential contributors to our cultural and societal discourse, deserving of the necessary support to continue amplifying the voices that might otherwise go unheard.
5 comments:
When I worked for an NGO theatre organisation this summer, I realised how much some theatre companies (no matter what kind of work they do) rely so much on government funding. I was shocked to find that the Arts Council of Wales is cutting back on funding for NTW. Although they say ACW can apply for other funding, I think the theatre is still put on a lot of burden before the next funding (if there’s one) comes. It seems like NTW is quite passive in this situation, waiting for the ACW’s next action, and there’s not much NTW can do about it. Especially when the theatre is so big, and has such an important role for the theatre community in Wales. I don’t know Wale’s theatre company structure, but it does sound like many people and organisations will be affected with this change. Since theatre community is usually pretty small, I can only imagine the chain effect it has on others.
Similar to Selina, I am very shocked that the government is cutting funding for the NTW, especially after all these years of support. With a theater of this size and caliber, and such a good reputation with over 100,000 contributors, you normally wouldn't expect them to have financial instability. This really opens my eyes on the reliance these organizations have on these funding sources. But it also raises the question to me as to why they did not have other sources of funding throughout the years. Though the article didn't specify why their funding was being cut back, I can only speculate that it was due to how large their company was. The government probably deduced that they would be able to find other sources of donations or grants to sustain themselves at this point and wanted to use their funds elsewhere to support maybe smaller organizations, and therefore more quantity wise.
It is so hard to realize that even if organizations are so impactful in a community with one movement they can simply not exist ever again. It is shocking to me that it was even considered since there are so many people that work at NTW and it is such a powerful theatre in itself. I did not think that the government was funding such an important place, especially not a theatre. I am not sure what in my brain conditioned me to think that most theatre’s are not funded by the government so reading this article it was a shock. It is hard to read that in the spring they simply just cannot work and that they will have to shut down and they really have noncontrol over it. One fact that made me upset was when they said that NTW can apply for the other fundings. It is ridiculous that they have to apply if they have been funded for 15 years.
I wonder what the reasoning ACW had to close the National Theater Wales. It seems like their funding isn’t exactly going to another theater company, rather than a variety of places, meaning that there may or may not be nearly as much representation of theater in the arts in Wales. It is especially surprising, as I assume they were aware of how much their funding supported the National Theater Wales, and all of it’s employees, and so the fact that now they may have to close is tragic. They mentioned other grants, but I wonder if there are any other ways as well that the NTW can raise money to continue, as they seem to make a large impact on the arts community in Wales, and to close so suddenly may create a large ripple. Sadly we are seeing many theaters close currently due to financial struggles or other problems, often tying back to how hardly they were all hit during Covid. However this situation is unique as it doesn’t seem to be an issue with covid, but rather the government’s choices which leads me back to my thought of why specifically the ACW would choose to withdraw funding - I assume there must be a reason considering they’d been willing to support the NTW up until now. I hope the NTW can figure out a way to stay open, or that the theater community in Wales can find other opportunities to thrive so the impact of the NTW doesn’t die out.
The alarming news of the potential closure of National Theatre Wales following a funding cut raises a poignant question about the role of the arts in reflecting societal narratives. A recent Instagram post resonated with me, asserting that in an era where trust in politicians and scientists wavers, the arts bear the responsibility of articulating the pulse of our world. However, the predicament faced by institutions like National Theatre Wales throws into sharp relief the paradoxical challenge—how can the arts fulfill this responsibility without adequate financial support? Withdrawal of funding becomes a significant impediment to the very essence of the arts: mirroring the multifaceted realities of society. Without the resources to sustain creative endeavors, the ability to provide a platform for diverse voices and perspectives diminishes. This potential loss is not just to the artistic community but to society at large, as it risks silencing a crucial avenue for collective reflection and dialogue. The situation underscores the importance of recognizing the arts as essential contributors to our cultural and societal discourse, deserving of the necessary support to continue amplifying the voices that might otherwise go unheard.
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