- Cymraeg
- English
 |
Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
 |
Collapse of Faenol Festival calls into question Welsh Government's judgement on grant decision
August 5, 2010 12:00 AM
The cancellation of the Faenol Festival for the second time in two years has further called into question the Welsh Government's decision to award it a £250,000 grant, the Welsh Liberal Democrats Finance Spokesperson, Peter Black has said.
The cancellation came in the light of poor ticket sales which meant that the event was no longer financially sustainable.
"Questions were raised by my colleague Eleanor Burnham at the time this £250,000 grant was awarded as to its suitability and appropriateness," said Mr. Black. "I believe that there were genuine concerns that this money was being made available at the same time as funding for the Llangollen Eisteddfod and the Hay Festival was being cut. I would also question why it was that Ministers by-passed the Arts Council in this instance and made the decision themselves.
"Subsequent events should now lead to questions as to whether proper investigations were carried out into the financial solvency of this festival in the first place as well as whether the Welsh Government's major events strategy is the correct one or not. Was this grant a last ditch attempt to prop up an unsustainable event and how was the decision taken? Which organisations were consulted and which Ministers were involved in the decision?
"Wales already has a whole host of local festivals that add significantly to the cultural fabric of the nation. They would welcome just a small part of this money to continue their work. Quite how subsidising an expensive outdoor Westlife concert adds to our cultural offering defeats me."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats
-
Help out or donate
-
Tell us what you think