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Theatr Gwynedd



As a former regular patron, I note with interest that the Assembly Government today refused to step in to save Theatr Gwynedd.

An Assembly government spokesperson said: "The arms length principle for funding of the arts in Wales means that it is not appropriate for the Welsh Assembly Government to intervene directly in the funding situations of individual arts organisations".

I assume the Minister will apply the same principle when WAG considers any funding bid for the estimated £25 million needed to build the new Arts Complex on the site and that, according to this arms length approach, will not be able to provide any public funds for this new building.

Comments

Anonymous said…
A fair question Dylan. If this was a Conservative administration would the answer be any different?
November 01, 2008 7:41 pm
Anonymous said…
There is something fishy going on with Theatre Gwynedd. We have a university which closes a theatre because it allegedly does not have any money to renovate it and yet is going to spend £25 million on a new building when it is essentially broke! As Dylan notes, there is no doubt that it will be the Assembly stumping up the millions for a new building but for some reason wont support the current building. This stinks and what amazes me is that the BBC have not reported anything about this.
November 01, 2008 8:46 pm
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans said…
Morgan - I think the point is well made by anon. It would certainly cost less to renew and upgrade the current Theatr Gwynedd as opposed to spending £25 million on what will essentially be a cross between a new students union and a replacement for the theatre. Certainly, given the current climate, I would choose to renew rather than build from new.
November 02, 2008 8:26 am
Anonymous said…
but is the building not just complete grot Dylan and don't you have top demolish before building new and moving on?

if it means that the eyesores of the union building along with the old theatre go then that's a plus point imho

tell me, do you think the university should subsidise the theatre to an even greater level than it was, rather than look to the future? and...was it worth investing any more money in the theatre 'as was' - to what and who's benefit would that have been? certainly not the community as it ended up as a glorified cinema - though Bangor needs one of them right now....
November 03, 2008 9:33 pm
Anonymous said…
The real question is whether £25 million of taxpayers money (as the uni won't stump up the cash as it is broke) should pay for a new nightclub for students.
November 04, 2008 7:48 am
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