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Tag: Dawn Bowden

  • Dawn Bowden – 2023 Update on the Fusion Programme

    Dawn Bowden – 2023 Update on the Fusion Programme

    The statement made by Dawn Bowden, the Welsh Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, on 11 January 2023.

    Fusion: Creating Opportunities through Culture programme was established as a key component in the Welsh Government’s response to Baroness Andrew’s Culture and Poverty report published in 2014. Fusion seeks to align and focus resources, services, and programmes from a wide range of sectors and organisations. The programme concentrates on helping those communities experiencing economic disadvantage and who may have traditionally faced barriers to participating in cultural activities.

    Now in its eighth year, the Welsh Government has led Fusion since 2015, in partnership with the cultural and heritage sector, including Amgueddfa Cymru and the Arts Council of Wales as both operational and delivery partners. We are currently working with nine local authorities across Wales to provide cultural opportunities tailored to the needs of local communities, providing training, volunteering, and other opportunities. However, for the programme to become more sustainable it needs to adapt to the new challenges that have arisen since its inception.

    I am pleased to confirm that ARAD has been appointed to carry out an independent study of Fusion’s current delivery model and the extent to which it has supported and enabled the Programme to achieve its overall aims. The review will build on the previous Theory of Change work completed in July 2022 and together they will shape the future aims of the Programme, including the potential to extend the programme across Wales. I will consider the recommendations provided on next steps, including a preferred delivery model to support the Programme in its future direction.

    ARAD will work closely with stakeholders over the coming months before providing officials with recommendations in February 2023. I will provide a further update following the conclusion of the review.

  • Dawn Bowden – 2022 Statement on Delivering the Culture, Heritage and Sport Actions in the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan

    Dawn Bowden – 2022 Statement on Delivering the Culture, Heritage and Sport Actions in the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan

    The statement made by Dawn Bowden, the Welsh Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip, on 22 November 2022.

    I am pleased to announce grant awards of £4.5m over the next three years to support the delivery of the culture, heritage and sport goals and actions in our Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, and our related Programme for Government and Co-operation Agreement commitments. I am grateful for the support and contribution from the Plaid Cymru Designated Member as we take forward this important work.

    To eradicate institutional and systematic racism we must collectively and collaboratively work together to bring about change.

    I have awarded just over £1.67m to our cultural and sport arm’s length bodies and more than £2.8m to 22 local, regional, national or independently run culture, heritage and sport organisations across Wales. This builds on the investment I made last financial year of almost £350,000 to begin the preparatory work with organisations including the National Library for Wales, the Archives and Records Council Wales and Race Council Cymru.

    All the projects receiving funding have a focus on co-production, demonstrating our commitment to placing lived experience at the center of policy, service development and delivery.

    Our national and local museums, galleries, libraries, theatres, and sporting venues need to be inclusive of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people and places. Our culture, heritage and sports services must be culturally competent and reflective of the history and contribution made by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people to Welsh society.

    Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, the Arts Council of Wales, the National Library of Wales, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales and Sport Wales will use the funding to build on existing and new programmes of activity, accelerating their work on anti-racism at a national level.

    Funding for Sport Wales will focus on the development and delivery of anti-racist training over a three-year period. The funding for the National Library of Wales will support several projects, including The Communities of Wales, which tells stories through the lens of people who moved to Wales. And the funding for Amgueddfa Cyrmru will enable more cultural programmes and events to be co-designed with community-based organisations, individuals and artists.

    Funding for the Arts Council of Wales will enable the appointment of more Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic creative practitioners and funding for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales will develop the Places We Remember project, which records the heritage of Welsh Asian communities in Wales.

    The 22 other organisations to be supported are:

    • Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
    • Archives and Records Council Wales
    • Association of Independent Museums
    • Beyond the Border Wales
    • Butetown Arts and Culture Association
    • Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
    • EatSleep Media
    • GEM Cymru (Group for Education in Museums)
    • Glamorgan Archives
    • Gôl Centre
    • Dr Marian Gwyn
    • Hijinx
    • KIRAN Cymru
    • Makers Guild of Wales
    • Monlife Heritage
    • North Wales Regional Equality Network
    • Race Council Cymru
    • Show Racism the Red Card Wales
    • Tennis Wales
    • Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
    • Tŷ Pawb and Wrexham County Borough Council Community Cohesion team
    • Women Connect First

    Last week, I visited two projects – Monlife Heritage and Tŷ Pawb – to hear how they will use the new funding and the difference it will make.

  • Dawn Bowden – 2022 Statement on a Culture Strategy for Wales

    Dawn Bowden – 2022 Statement on a Culture Strategy for Wales

    The statement made by Dawn Bowden, the Welsh Deputy Minister for Arts & Sport and Chief Whip, on 15 November 2022.

    Developing a Culture Strategy for Wales is a key Programme for Government and Co-operation Agreement commitment within my portfolio.

    As Wales begins to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and at a time when people’s wellbeing and resilience is being adversely affected by rising costs of living and difficult financial forecasts, we must maintain a focus on those areas that make a positive difference to people’s everyday lives. We know that cultural and creative experiences are valued by the public, and that our arts, culture and heritage sectors contribute to personal wellbeing and community cohesion. I am pleased therefore to be able to share a short progress update on the development of a new culture strategy for Wales.

    Working with Plaid Cymru designated members, we have agreed that the scope of the strategy will include arts, museums, libraries, archives, and the historic environment, and it will look at how we can best support and develop these sectors in Wales. The strategy should consider, but not be limited to, the role of culture and the arts in promoting positive health and wellbeing, equalities, lifelong learning and skills, supporting digital developments in Wales, the visitor economy, and the Welsh language, together with resilience building to enable effective recovery from the pandemic and delivery on the requirements of the Future Generations Act.

    The Strategy will focus on how we can protect, conserve, and promote the arts, culture and historic assets and collections both now and for future generations. It will develop an inclusive, holistic approach to supporting our sectors and will have a focus on improving equitable access to and participation in all aspects of cultural life in Wales. It will also seek to enhance the close inter-operability of the arts, culture and heritage sectors, so they can collaborate more effectively, across sectors and in partnership with community groups and other stakeholders.

    Following a recent procurement exercise, a lead partner has been appointed to work collaboratively with Welsh Government to produce a new strategy for publication in 2023.

    Over the next few months, the contractor will undertake intensive research and engagement activity. This will involve working closely with partners across the arts, culture and heritage sectors, including but not limited to the four cultural sponsored bodies, Cadw, local sector organisations and people who work in these sectors on the ground. The contractor will also seek input from communities across Wales, especially those that are traditionally excluded or under-served.

    The development of the strategy will be supported by an Overarching Steering Group, which will scrutinise and critically evaluate progress on the development of the strategy, providing conceptual thinking and informed challenge to Welsh Government as required.

    My focus is on ensuring that the new strategy is innovative, ambitious and fit for purpose, and that it is a strategy that will be welcomed by the culture and heritage sectors and by the people of Wales. I will keep the Senedd informed of significant milestones as the work progresses.

  • Dawn Bowden – 2022 Statement on Her Visit to New Zealand

    Dawn Bowden – 2022 Statement on Her Visit to New Zealand

    The statement made by Dawn Bowden, the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip, in the Welsh Government on 25 October 2022.

    I have recently returned from New Zealand in my role as Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport.

    The primary focus of my visit was to support the Wales women’s rugby team as they took on the hosts and current world champions, the Black Ferns, in their group match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Sunday 16 October.

    My visit helped raise the profile of Wales, both within the rugby community and beyond. Ahead of the game it was an honour to meet the playing squad and WRU staff to discuss the progress they have made over the past two years, whilst recognising there are opportunities for further investment and development in the women’s game.

    In the days leading up to the game, I had a full schedule of visits, meetings and events where shared experiences of sport, culture and heritage were explored.

    My first meeting was with the Māori Language Commission in Wellington to discuss shared pathways to the revitalisation for indigenous languages. I then met Peter Miskimmin, Sports Diplomacy Manager and former CEO of Sport New Zealand. We discussed sport diplomacy, inclusion and collaboration, and the economic and social benefits, in particular for smaller nations. The final meeting of my first day was with the High Commissioner at the British Consulate in New Zealand, Iona Thomas.

    On my second day in New Zealand, I had an opportunity to discuss the development of the women’s game with Traci Houpapa, professional director at Women in Rugby Aotearoa. This was followed by a meeting with Waikato University senior deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alister Jones to discuss the academic links between our two countries.

    I later met representatives of Healthy Active Learning and Active Me – Kia Tu. These are two programmes run by Sport New Zealand aiming to improve the quality of physical activity experiences of young people to promote wellbeing and support disadvantaged children into physical activity.

    I also had constructive meetings with Raelene Castle, CEO of Sport New Zealand, Rachel Froggatt and Raewyn Lovett, Secretary-General and Co-Chair respectfully of the International Working Group on Women in Sport. I had bilateral with Priyanca Radhakrishnan MP, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities to discuss how our respective governments are seeking to address many of the challenging issues facing both nations.

    I travelled to Queenstown to visit Skyline Enterprises Ltd and the Shotover Jet – two adventure tourism attractions to see how Queenstown has used the natural landscape as a beautiful backdrop to successful enterprises.

    We are in discussion to bring an adventure tourism attraction from New Zealand to Wales and it was valuable for me to see first-hand one of its main attractions whilst also discussing the many parallels with our work in Wales in particular managing environmental obligations and incorporating native language as part of their strategies.

    This visit – at a time when the Welsh team is performing on the world sporting stage – is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that Wales is an outward looking nation, open for business and determined to maintain existing relationships and explore new avenues to strengthen the special friendship that exists between Wales and New Zealand.