Arts leaders have welcomed a ground-breaking initiative to transform arts reviewing across Wales that is being launched this weekend.
It will link arts organisations and venues with new and existing writers and give financial and practical support to make the arts accessible to all.
The initiative comes from Wales Critics Fund, the unique organisation launched at the prestigious Wales Theatre Awards to promote the development of arts reviewing and writing.
WCF has partnered with Creu Cymru, the development agency for theatres and arts centres in Wales, to create a national hub for reviewing, mentoring and training.
It will provide financial support for reviewers and writers including travel and accommodation costs. CC will be the link between reviewers and venues to ensure the development of more diverse reviewing and criticism, across the nation.
The initiative will also form a link between critics and the media in Wales to promote fresh new writing and tackle the paucity of reviewing. The additional paucity of arts coverage for the bulk of the population of Wales as well as the arts industry will also be addressed with expansion of the innovative Arts Scene in Wales digital magazine.
The Fund’s director Mike Smith said this means there is now a network for all venues to work with writers to tackle the increasing “reviewing deficit” in Wales.
“This is great news for the arts in Wales as writers and reviewers as independent, critical voices are vital to speak to and for audiences across Wales beyond the valuable offerings of the publicly-subsidised publications, whether print or online.”
There will also be more of a strategic approach to linking reviewing and venues, artists and arts organisations to the prestigious Wales Theatre Awards.
“The work of new and young critics lies at the heart of the Wales Theatre Awards but it was recognised there was little support for such reviewers or, crucially, existing freelance reviewers especially outside the Cardiff region. The Wales Critics Fund is already tackling that and the results can be seen on the Arts Scene in Wales website along with support for writers contributing to other media.
“It is great news for the arts community as the new initiative will also become part of the Wales Theatre Awards which are both a showcase for excellence in the arts but was also set up to recognise the vital role reviewing and arts writing plays in the cultural life of the nation.”
Creu Cymru director Deborah Keyser said, “Creu Cymru looks forward to working with Wales Critics Fund to connect reviewers and writers with our member venues across Wales to 9increase the scope and diversity of criticism. Having a strong and healthy culture of arts criticism is crucial for the arts in Wales to survive. This innovative approach will also make the richness of the arts in Wales accessible to a wider audience through generating informed, fair, balanced yet critical writing.”
Peter Doran, Artistic Director of Torch Theatre, Milford Haven (pictured) said, “Critical debate is an important part of the cultural industry. It’s vital that directors and producers get an honest independent reaction to their work which is then placed within the larger cultural context but reviewers/critics need to be nurtured; an intelligent, informed, balanced and insightful review is not straightforward, it takes skill and if we are serious about engaging in critical debate in Wales then it is important that we support our reviewers and encourage a new generation.”
The Arts Scene in Wales rolling arts digital magazine has been made possible through the support from individual supporters without any public or commercial subsidy, ensuring its total independence and ability to link to the similarly independent Wales Theatre Awards. All of the reviewers supported by the Wales Critics Fund and Creu Cymru’s network of member venues will be able to share their work on a new Arts Scene in Wales. This will also be used to develop writers who can also work with their local traditional media outlets, whether websites, magazines, newspapers or blogs.
The www.asiw.co.uk platform will enable young and new critics to share their views with one another, Wales’ professional reviewers and audiences and artists. All of these new and young critics will also be part of the Wales Theatre Awards.
The WTAs continue to be open to all professional reviewers based and working in Wales and we expect an even greater number of critics from all across Wales to take part in the 2016 awards.
From May, Wales Critics Fund will also be offering mentoring to individual reviewers on any young and new critics scheme in Wales.
Venues, new and young critics organisations, students and existing reviewers can find out how to get funded and supported by visiting www.walescriticsfund.co.uk
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