Llangollen Eisteddfod to lose vital funding

LLANGOLLEN'S INTERNATIONAL Musical Eisteddfod will lose vital arts council funding next year - leaving organisers in limbo over its future.

Organisers of the event, which attracts big names and thousands of visitors each year, have been told £57,000 of funding will be lost but they will be able to bid for a lottery funded pot of cash for festivals.

Another major loser is Theatr Powys based in Llandrindod Wells.

It received £210,940 this year, funding it will be receiving in April 2011.

Powys County Council says it could leave a huge hole in arts provision in the county.

Chief executive of the Eisteddfod, Mervyn Cousins stressed that this year's week-long Eisteddfod, which opens with a gala concert featuring Katherine Jenkins on Monday night, will be unaffected.

"We currently have about £57,000 revenue funding from the Arts Council of Wales and this will continue until April 2011," he said,

Hope

"This is not an insignificant amount of money and the worst case scenario of losing that money altogether would not be good.

"But we were told by the Arts Council that our business plan was good and we have to hope the positive feedback means we will be successful in bidding for the new funding. We have been left in a bit of a limbo.

"All festivals will be able to bid for this new pot of funding so it will be competitive. We have been expecting a straightforward yes or no from the Arts Council Wales and this has taken us somewhat by surprise."

The Eisteddfod and Theatr Powys are among of 32 organisations across Wales to lose funding under the review by the Welsh Assembly.

Powys County Councillor Gwyn Gwillim said of the Theatr Powys cut: "We are extremely disappointed by the announcement, which potentially could leave a huge hole in arts provision in the county."

"The impact of the announcement will not only have implications for independent arts providers in Powys, but it will have implications for the council's own service, Theatr Powys."

He added: "The council will have to consider the implications today's announcement will have for the county."

By Sue Austin