One of ACW's overarching strategic priorities is that the arts are accessible and are taken to people, or involve people, based in either 'Communities First' areas or areas of acknowledged deprivation.

St Donats Arts Centre fully supports this strategic objective and since the mid 1990s, the Arts Centre has been working throughout Wales to provide an annual programme of educational, touring and outreach storytelling events with a focus on geographical areas of disadvantage.

Last year, St Donats Arts Centre ran 111 educational and outreach workshops to 3,995 children, young people and elderly people in Wales including the south Wales Valleys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr, Newport, Barry and Swansea. This year the arts centre will be working closely with the Vale of Glamorgan Council on an innovative project to encourage storytelling skills among pupils in six Barry primary schools. Many of these locations are areas of acknowledged deprivation and some are designated as 'Communities First' areas of deprivation.

This work is part of the arts centre's International Storytelling Festival which is the only one of its kind in Wales and the largest in  the UK. In July 2007, the festival attracted over 1,600 people from Britain and beyond and comprised over 80 storytellers and performers  from around the world. The touring work was funded, in part, by the Arts Council of Wales and the festival itself is supported financially by the National Assembly of Wales and a range of other partners for its ability to attract tourists to Wales, for the boost it provides to the south Wales economy, for the international attention it brings to Wales as well as the quality and scale of its educational and touring work.

Some things you might be interested to know

1) St Donats Arts Centre is funded by The Arts Council of Wales, The Vale of Glamorgan Council, The Welsh Assembly Government, United World College of the Atlantic, Mousetrap Settlement Trust and numerous private sponsors).

2) St Donats Arts Centre works in the following ways to fulfil the strategic priorities of the ACW and its other funders. ACW's withdrawal of £45,379 each year will result in the loss of:

An arts centre and cinema for people in the Vale of Glamorgan and surrounding counties.

Over 356 events generating over 59,000 attendances by local people and visitors from Wales and abroad each year.

Wales' only International Storytelling Festival, the only one of its kind in Wales and the largest in the UK. This comprises on average approximately 80 performers from around the world and attracts on average over 1,600 visitors from Wales and abroad. The festival runs a programme of education, touring and outreach work. Last year, the festival included 111 educational workshops to 3,995 children, young people and the elderly in the Valleys, Newport, Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan as well as monthly performances in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. The festival has worked in this way since it began and recently arranged events as part of the Festival of Muslim Cultures.

An annual programme of life-long learning classes and workshops for retired people in the rural Vale.

Over £83,000 worth of business spent on companies in south Wales each year amounting to more than £2.5million spent in the life of the arts centre.

£7.83 generated by SDAC in grants and earned income for every £1 of ACW investment. ACW's decision could jeopardise the continued support of the arts centre's other financial  partners (National Assembly for Wales, Vale of Glamorgan Council, United World College of the Atlantic, Mousetrap Settlement Trust and numerous private sponsors) as well as the centre's own earning potential at the box office.

Three full-time posts and 12 part-time, casual staff based at the arts centre. 80 performers and over 30 part-time staff employed as part of the Wales International Storytelling Festival. Up to 10 part-time staff employed throughout the year as part of the education and outreach work throughout Wales.

An annual programme of educational events in schools, colleges, prisons and community venues. Other educational work is as follows:

Thrice yearly Education Partnerships that bring international artists, performers and students together in a programme of workshops and performance. Companies have included the New York City Players, Theatr Association Chorea, the Welsh company Earthfall and Welsh composer Charlie Barber;

A bi-annual arts festival (Soundbite) featuring performances and free workshops aimed at college students as well as secondary and sixth form students from local schools;

Training sessions in theatre arts by highly-experienced professionals such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Trestle Theatre Company, Shakespeare's Globe and Cardboard Citizens as well as professional actors. These are aimed at students, teachers and arts practitioners;

Training sessions in all aspects of an arts centre operation for students;

Inclusion of performances by undergraduates and music tutors as part of the professional live performance programme of afternoon music concerts at the arts centre;

An annual programme of storytelling performances and workshop sessions in schools, community centres, prisons and residential homes. This escalates considerably at the time of the Beyond The

Border Wales International Storytelling Festival;

An annual programme of adult education classes focussing on arts, craft and dance subjects in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council Adult Education Department;

Regular Film Education Days aimed at school children;

Access to the centre's professionally equipped theatre space for local amateur performers from the Vale and beyond.

3) St Donats Arts Centre's programme of performance and other events in 2008:

The arts centre is the only venue in Wales to successfully negotiate with the prestigious Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to perform its unique style of open-air performance in the grounds of the arts centre. It will provide associated workshops for students.

Approximately 60 screenings of films and film-education days for school children including reduced price film matinees for senior citizens.

An annual programme of low-cost afternoon concerts for senior citizens.

An annual programme of arts and craft classes focussing on life-long learning for retired people.

Over 20 performances by local community and amateur companies including schoolchildren, students and local residents.

World-class performers such as Emma Kirkby (following John Williams' sold-out concert last year), the musical legend, Georgie Fame, the unique Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Jacqui McShee's Pentangle and the slide guitar master, Dave Kelly.

A Concert as part of the Vale for Glamorgan Festival which comprises five concerts in venues throughout the Vale of Glamorgan.

For more information, please contact
Janet Smith

General Manager
St Donats Arts Centre
St Donats Castle
Vale of Glamorgan
CF61 1WF

Phone 01446 799095

Vale Life comment

Jennifer Hobbs-Roberts, Editor of Vale Life commented, "The decision to withdraw funding from St Donats seems completely inappropriate given the Arts Council's limited funding of projects in the Vale of Glamorgan."

Mark Roberts, Art Editor of Vale Life added, "I thought the closure of Llantrisant Post Office was one of the most ill considered acts I have witnessed in a long time, then this is announced. Perhaps there's something in the water that is affecting usually intelligent people's ability to make sensible decisions. The withdrawal of funding is certainly an appalling idea and one that, should it be carried out, will reflect very badly on the Arts Council of Wales and have serious implications for arts provision across the Vale not forgetting the impact on staff, visitors and local businesses."

Support St Donats

If you care about the arts in the Vale, please contact St Donats with your support.

You can also contact the Arts Council of Wales and make your views heard.

You can also make your views available to Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith and Assembly Member for The Vale of Glamorgan, Jane Hutt.