Doubts remain over St Donats future

Staff at St Donats Arts Centre in the Vale of Glamorgan are concerned that the Arts Council of Wales has yet to reinstate its £45,000 grant following a successful appeal against a decision to withdraw funding.

Despite an independent panel deciding that the ACW had made a wrong decision to withdraw the centre's grant, the council decided to call for further reports at a meeting last week.

The centre near Llantwit Major has hosted a string of jazz gigs by international and local artists as part of its varied programming, including Georgie Fame and the late Humphrey Lyttelton among its attractions over the last year.

St Donats chairman John Clarke said: "We are shocked that the Arts Council has not automatically restored our funding but instead has called for further reports from its officers and a review of the options.

"This continues the uncertainty which is highly damaging to the Arts Centre whose funding still runs out in July.

"The Arts Centre has been under threat of closure for the last three months and that threat remains a very real one whilst the Arts Council’s bureaucracy grinds on."

Vale of Glamorgan Assembly Member Jane Hutt said: "I regret that the Arts Council for Wales has not immediately reinstated the full funding base of St Donats Arts Centre following their successful appeal.

"As Vale AM, however, I am pressing for what I hope will be fruitful discussions about the future funding of the Centre and that appropriate funding sources will be identified".

The Chairman and General Manager are seeking urgent talks with senior officials of the Arts Council of Wales with the aim of immediately reinstating the centre's grant.

See www.stdonats.com for more details.