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World wide support pours in to save
St Donats Arts Centre in South Wales
Hundreds of people from all over the world are supporting the St Donats Arts Centre's campaign to save it from closure.
The arts centre's on-line petition has fast-approaching 1,000 people signed up in the first four days making it the fifth most active petition on the world-wide web. Supporters include people from Norway, Swede, Finland, France, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Germany, Switzerland, India, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Gambia and Denmark as well as from Wales and the UK.
The arts centre in south Wales was told this month by the Arts Council of Wales that its annual grant will be removed. The decision could close the centre and international storytelling festival, 'Beyond The Border', the only one of its kind in Wales and the largest in the UK. In addition, the Arts Council's decision will bring to an end the centre's educational storytelling events in Wales' disadvantaged communities.
Janet Smith, General Manager of St Donats Arts Centre said, "We are delighted with this huge response, although not surprised. The arts centre is highly valued by our audiences and our unique storytelling festival is well established in the lives of over 2,000 people and their families some of whom travel great distances from all corners of the world to be here. "
She attributed some of the petition's popularity to the centre's work throughout Wales, "I think we are being supported so strongly in part because of our important educational work in the communities of Wales. Last year, for example, we took Native American Indian storytellers to schools, prisons and other community settings. We promoted 111 educational and outreach workshops to just under 4,000 children, young people and elderly people in areas including the south Wales Valleys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr, Newport, Barry and Swansea. Many of these locations are areas of acknowledged deprivation and for many children it was the first time they had met anyone from a Native North American Indian community. "
She went on to say that that the decision would adversely affect local people's lives and the economy of south Wales. "We serve a very rural community where people can become isolated. As an arts centre and a cinema, we provide the only cultural opportunity people have for miles around. Many of our audiences are older people who are not able to travel for over an hour into the city."
"There will also be a severe knock-on effect for the economy here. The arts centre has spent an estimated £2.5 million on local businesses in its lifetime so far. During the festival weekend alone, tourists spend an estimated £138,500 on travel companies, retailers and guest houses in south Wales."
Attracting tourists is an important aspect of the arts centre's work. This year, the centre is the only venue in Wales to successfully negotiate with the prestigious Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to perform open-air in the grounds of the arts centre and provide workshops for students. "Tickets are already selling fast and this event will be a huge boost to tourism for south Wales", she said.
For further information, contact
Janet Smith, St Donats Arts Centre
01446 799095
janetsmith@stdonats.com
www.stdonats.com
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