Arts Council of Wales announces project to map the arts activity in Welsh.
The goal is to provide as complete and up-to-date a picture as possible of what is happening across Wales. The purpose of the project is to grow the audience for Welsh language productions and extend the opportunities for creating creative work in Welsh.
Elen ap Robert won the tender to carry out this work in an open tender process at the end of 2019. She will contact arts and community organisations across Wales over the coming weeks and months.
Elen said:
"Research around language acquisition shows us that the desire to understand and participate in cultural activities stimulates language learning and use of the language. It follows that the arts sector and the Council have a significant responsibility and role in contributing to the Welsh Government's target of having a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
"The purpose of this research is to identify the current levels of arts activity in Welsh, focusing on activity not currently funded by the Council. Then I will make recommendations to the Council about the way forward in line with its objectives. I hope that these findings will provide a solid data foundation on which we can build strategically in the future."
After collecting the data, she will make recommendations to the Council. Siân Tomos, Director for Arts Development at the Council said today:
"The Welsh language is a central element of our culture and identity in Wales and we have a right as a nation to tell our own stories in Welsh as much as in English.
"The Council’s data leads us to believe that the arts sector can create and achieve much more through the medium of Welsh. We also think that by working in partnership with other organisations we can do more to achieve the potential that exists within our country.
"So we have commissioned this piece of work to see what is already happening in our communities the length and breadth of Wales".
This work coincides with two other pieces of work currently being undertaken by the Council.
Last week we announced a partnership with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to work on a pilot scheme between now and the end of March to encourage more workers in the arts sector to learn Welsh or improve their Welsh-language skills.
Also an invitation to tender is currently open for another piece of research to map the marketing activity in Welsh.
The application deadline is 31 January 2020.
