3.5% funding boost for arts organisations in Wales | IFACCA

"The Arts Council of Wales' 3.5% funding uplift is a renewed commitment to those 81 companies we fund all over Wales on a multi-year basis. It supports our renowned theatre, opera, and dance companies as well as our art galleries and community-led projects carrying out quality-driven work. By investing in resilience and transformation, including looking at how we distribute Lottery funds, we are ensuring that Welsh arts continue to thrive here at home and on international stages. [...] This follows confirmation of a 10.5% increase in Welsh Government funding, restoring the grant-in-aid funding for the Arts Council of Wales to the 2023/24 level of £33.3 million per year. As well as increasing the offer to multi-year funded organisations, Arts Council for Wales’ budget for 2025-26 includes hands-on support for the sector through the creation of a £750K Arts Resilience fund and £2.65m for sector recovery and transformation. This will allocate: [...] The Arts Council of Wales also distribute funds on behalf of the National Lottery, which is based on ticket sales. There will also be changes this year to how Lottery grants are awarded, with the introduction of specific grants rounds to support Festivals and Touring alongside a new fund to support theatrical work of higher ambition. Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive of Arts Council of Wales said,