wales arts international strategy

Wales Arts International

Creating 2013

International Arts and Wales in 2013Wales Arts International’s 5 year strategy

Wales Arts International facilitates international work in the arts through collaborations, projects, networks and communication.

Clockwise: Mark Rees, Mabon, Rounded Vessel by Duncan Ayscough, Catrin Howell

Contents

A partnership approach 01

A changing landscape 03

Purpose 06

Our vision 06

Outcomes and strategic objectives 07

Wales Arts International objectives 08

Delivery 15

This document is hyperlinked throughout. Clicking on the headingswithin the contents page with take you to the relevant section.

Arts Council of WalesCyngor Celfyddydau Cymru

Eddie Ladd

International Arts and Wales in 2013

1A partnership approach

Wales Arts International was established in1997 as a strategic partnership between theArts Council of Wales and the British Council,based on a shared belief that workingtogether and integrating complementaryactivity will enhance opportunities andimpact.

As an Assembly Sponsored Public Body, theArts Council of Wales is responsible to theWelsh Assembly Government for funding and developing the Arts in Wales. The BritishCouncil is the UK’s leading internationalCultural Relations organisation whosepurpose is to build mutually beneficial

cultural and educational relationshipsbetween people in the UK and in othercountries.

As the government of a devolved Waleswithin the UK and an expanded Europe, the Welsh Assembly Government has and isdeveloping relationships internationally. WAIworks closely with several departments of theAssembly Government to enable Wales toengage internationally on arts-related issuesincluding the Culture and Heritage Division,Creative Business Wales, the Arts StrategyBoard, European and External Affairs andInternational Business Wales.

WAI Partnership Agreement (photo: Betina Skovbro)

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WAI is part of the Arts Management Team ofthe ACW and ensures that international workis embedded into the Council’s corporateplan, its Artform strategies and other relevantstrategies and policy documents.International artistic collaborations andcreative partnerships play an important partin the development of the arts in Wales.

The arts travel beyond borders and there aremany international opportunities open toartists and the arts in Wales.

Artistic collaborations develop inter-culturalrelations and raise the profile of the arts andthe culture of Wales internationally. They alsocontribute towards developing the creativeeconomy in Wales.

There is growing international recognition of the contribution the arts make in manyspheres, including economic development,skills, health, tourism, inter-cultural dialogueand regeneration.

Developing an infrastructure that allowsartists and arts organisations to take up avariety of international opportunities will be a priority of the WAI partnership for the nextfive years.

This will mean focusing on communication,networks, investment, recognition and reach.

The Arts Council’s expertise in developmentsand networks in Wales combined with theBritish Council’s global arts networks hasconsiderable creative potential.

This partnership is a key focus for WAI, but WAI will make further complementarystrategic alliances and develop support for artists and organisations involved ininternational work in and from Wales overthe period of this strategy.

This strategy is an expression of acommitment to further the internationalengagement of the arts in Wales.


The front of Dusseldorf’s Tanzhaus (photo: Roy Campbell-Moore

3A changing landscape

The operating environment for both ACWand the British Council and indeed the artshas changed in recent years and willcontinue to change.

Arts Council of Wales’ Perspective

Wales is now a devolved country within theUK and an expanded Europe. There aregrowing cultural dimensions to the work ofthe Welsh Assembly Government’sinternational relationships.

The Arts Council of Wales is now lookingforward to a new relationship with the WelshAssembly Government post the Arts Reviewcarried out by Elan Closs Stephens. Whilst anarm’s length principle will be maintained,better co-operation in certain areas of workas identified in the Arts Council of Wales’

Art Form Strategies, its Corporate Plan 2008-11 and its International Policy, offernew opportunities.

The increase in Welsh presence in othercountries offers new opportunities for WalesArts International to develop new paths forthe arts in Wales. Welsh AssemblyGovernment officers in Brussels for exampleoffer invaluable links for the arts in Waleswith the 27 member states of the EuropeanUnion.

There is a growing conviction that the artsacting independently and to their creativeambition, will add value to cultural relationsand help to raise the profile of our smallnation which in turn raises interest in the arts in Wales.


Yin Shangyi

The British Council Perspective

The British Council’s purpose is to buildengagement and trust for the UK through theexchange of knowledge and ideas betweenpeople worldwide.

As part of its Arts Action Plan and to developits relationship with Wales Arts Internationalfollowing the signing of a new partnershipagreement with the Arts Council of Wales inApril 2008, the British Council has created afull-time arts post to be based in Cardiff.

The Arts Action Plan is committed to invest inthe British Council’s international network ofprofessional expertise including specialistposts and external advisers. The Council’sArts Group operates in 110 countriesworldwide. WAI will continue to work with theBritish Council to ensure Wales interacts withinternational networks, projects andprogrammes.

The UK is recognised internationally as aleader in creative practice. The UK creative economy now accounts for 7% of GDP and is growing at twice the speed of the economyas a whole. The sector stands to grow furtherwith the growing global demand for creativecontent and UK international networks. Thereis an opportunity for the arts and creativity inWales to benefit from the vibrant globalcreative economy. Cultural leadership at alllevels will be key in this respect.

The UK government’s creative economystrategy “Creative Britain” aims to establishthe UK as the world’s creative hub. Thestrategy has several international initiativesthat could offer opportunities for the arts inWales and overlaps with WAI’s remit in termsof international market for art, crafts, musicand the performing arts. Although Creative

Britain focuses on the creative economy, itidentifies international cultural diplomacy aswell as creating an open market in ideas andskills as ways of developing UK’s creativity.

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Richard Deacon - Venice Biennale 2007(photo: Poly Braden)

5The WAI Perspective

International recognition and interest in thearts from Wales is growing, a tribute not onlyto the past work of Wales Arts International,but to a range of many organisations thathave supported the arts and raised theprofile of the culture of Wales internationally.In this respect, WAI looks forward todeveloping its work with a range of partnerson project basis, both in Wales andinternationally. These will include other UK partners (e.g. Visiting Arts).

The communications revolution of the last tenyears has led to an expansion of artists’networks through use of new technologiesand has added virtual artistic collaborationsand exchanges to physical ones relying ontouring or travelling. New mediadevelopments offer the arts in Wales agateway to the world and the world into thearts in Wales and offer our artists newinternational platforms.

Wales has a history of strong culturalinterfaces with the world; from the ambitionsfor sharing and world harmony (for exampleat the root of the foundation of theLlangollen International Eisteddfod after theSecond World War) through to challenge ofArt to reflect humanity in the recentlyestablished Artes Mundi exhibition or Wales’presence at the Venice Biennale.

Wales is a leader in the UK in terms ofbilingualism. This offers an opportunity toshare particular experiences regardinglinguistic and cultural identity and confidencewith other bi-or multi-lingual societiesthrough activities in theatre, literature, musicand multi-media. Multilingualism is one ofthe priorities of a European Union of 27member states with 21 official languages and more than sixty lesser-used languages.

Culture and communication are also aEurope–wide priority and a range ofinternational arts networks and opportunitiesare supported through EU transnationalpartnerships which can also help to introducegood practice from other countries to Wales.

The new Agenda for Culture in Europe hasthree priorities of relevance to WAI:

promotion of cultural diversity andintercultural dialogue (which includespromoting the mobility of artists andprofessionals in the cultural field and the circulation of all artistic expressionsbeyond national borders)

promotion of culture as a catalyst forcreativity in the framework of the LisbonStrategy for growth and jobs;

promotion of culture as a vital element in the Union's international relations.

WAI also has an advocacy role. The WAI Director is a member of the HeritageMinister’s Arts Strategy Board. The “One Wales” Labour - Plaid coalitiongovernment will develop a new culturestrategy for Wales that will look at how to“make our mark on the world stage andsupport opportunities for Wales’ artisticproducers to participate on the internationalstage.” (Heritage Minister Rhodri GlynThomas in Arts Professional November 2007)

The challenge for Wales Arts Internationalover the next five years is to develop theinfrastructures in the context of this newlandscape so that the arts in Wales engageand take up international opportunities.


6 Purpose

Our vision

Our vision is that the arts from Wales engage and developinternationally so that by the end of 2013 Wales Arts International’sprogramme of projects and activities will:

transform opportunities for international artistic practitioners in Wales

invest in artistic practice and cultural leadership in Wales through engagement in global and local networks

bring financial investments to the arts and creative economy in Wales

form relationships with different cultures through the arts

foster international artistic excellence in Wales

further international impact and recognition for the arts and culture of Wales.


WAI’s purpose is to place the arts and thecontemporary culture of Wales on a worldstage and to provide an international contextto the arts in Wales.

WAI exists to provide an infrastructure thatcreates, promotes and delivers a programmeof activities and projects that invest in anddevelop quality arts from Walesinternationally.

WAI not only ensures that Welsh artistic andcultural output is appreciated by as wide anaudience as possible, but also plays its part in the development of increasedunderstanding between people in the UK andthose in other countries through inter-culturaldialogue, artistic exchanges andcollaborations.

This strategy is driven by the following set ofoutcomes:

More artists and cultural organisationsable to work internationally withincreasing visibility and recognition.

Wales contributing to and benefiting fromthe promotion of the UK's creative andknowledge economy.

More work attracted into Wales thatstimulate the arts here and provide a benchmark for the indigenous artssector.

Increased capacity by the arts sector inWales to act internationally.

More investment and engagement within the EU.

More intercultural understanding leadingto positive social change.

Increased profile for Wales and Welshculture in the world.

7Outcomes and strategic objectives


Ruthin Craft Centre(photo: Dewi Tannatt-Lloyd)

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To meet the above outcomes and deliver ourvision, WAI’s strategic objectives areidentified in 3 priorities:

i) Maximising international opportunities for the arts in Wales

ii) Increasing investment into WAI’s programme of activities

iii) Ensuring international impact and recognition for arts from Wales

Objective 1: Maximising international opportunities

WAI aims to facilitate and maximiseinternational opportunities available to artistsand arts organisations in Wales which in turnwill benefit and develop the arts in Wales.

WAI will develop structures that ensure that the arts community (individuals andorganisations) know about relevantopportunities of interest and will advise them on possible participation.

WAI’s focus will be on developinginternational work for professional artists in Wales.

This priority will be delivered throughincreased information, communication,networking and travel support.

1.1 Communication, information and advocacy

WAI’s structure (systems, projects and tools)will increase our capacity to communicateopportunities to enable artists and artsorganisations to develop their owninternational work as well as being anadvocate for Welsh arts to the relevantinternational players.

WAI’s communication plan will have twomain goals:

1) raise the profile of Welsh arts of international acclaim to the world (out)

2) raise awareness in Wales of relevant international opportunities (in).

WAI will exploit new technologies to achievethese goals.

As well as facilitating artists and artsorganisations from Wales to workinternationally, WAI will be a point of accessfor international arts into Wales. In thisrespect, WAI will provide the British Counciland other strategic international partnerswith intelligence and contacts throughoutWales.

Each WAI project and activity will identify the relevant communication tools and actionplan.

For some projects, additional communicationsupport may be available in identified prioritycountries (e.g. British Council, WAG officesand PR agencies).

Wales Arts International Objectives


9The arts, by their very nature, offer veryeffective means of communication if they areof the highest standard and if they areadequately supported. WAI will support andpromote world class quality art and projectswhich can be promoted and recognised atthe international level. Some cross art forminitiatives, such as developing critical writingabout the arts in Wales and internationallywill be prioritised.

PR and marketing support will be providedby both the Arts Council of Wales and theBritish Council.

WAI will identify and keep a diary of eventsand landmarks in and outside Wales thatmaximise international opportunities relevantto the sector (e.g. Smithsonian 2009,International Eisteddfod, Hay on Way, Brecon Jazz, Artes Mundi, Venice Biennale,European Year of Intercultural Dialogue2008, European Year of Innovation andCreativity 2009, Cultural Olympiad 2008-12).

WAI will continue to work with partners todevelop communications synergies in theinternational domain.


photo: Catrin Finch

10 1.2 networks

“For individuals and organisations alike,international networking is the civil societyanswer to globalisation. The opportunitieshave grown alongside the expansion ofactivity and the speed of travel. Just as thecoming of the railways ensured that successcould no longer be related only to a smalllocality, so regional and global economicsand the political institutions that accompanythem have demanded at least a regional -and increasingly a global - expansion ofprofessional contact.” Simon Mundy(Independent Consultant on Cultural Policy).

International networking for artsprofessionals in Wales takes place at threedifferent levels, the global, the European and the UK. It is now possible to find aglobal and European equivalent to almostany national grouping.

Through participating in creative networks,WAI will support international exposure forthe arts in Wales.

To fully benefit from international networksWAI will also look to support thedevelopment of international culturalleadership skills within the sector in Wales,which will involve support for individualsthrough initiatives such as continuousprofessional development to workinternationally, international mentoringschemes as well as sharing of good practice.

Networks enable artists and artsorganisations in Wales to benefit from globalopportunities whilst operating locally. WestWales based artist, Simon Whitehead callsthis “glocalisation” of the arts. Each time heworks internationally, it enriches hisunderstanding of his own “milltir sgwar”

(locality) and never fails to offer him a newperspective.

Participation in international networks bringsmany varied benefits including, opportunitiesto develop work, international contacts, visits,investment, advocacy and communication. Over the past ten years, and with the supportof both our parent organisations, WAI hasdeveloped a unique international network ofcontacts for Wales on which we will seek tocapitalise over the period of this strategy.This will not only help to support future workbut will also maximise the legacy value ofour projects. For example, through a varietyof residency programmes, WAI already has anetwork of arts practitioners who havedeveloped international contacts.

WAI will also participate in networks thatbring appropriate investment to support thevision.

There are therefore three identifiednetworking activities:

i) firstly to encourage and assist arts professionals in Wales to be actively involved in networks relevant to them

ii) secondly for WAI to join the relevant European networks to develop capacity of the organisation to target greater investment into the sector

iii) thirdly to develop over the course of this strategy, our own network of arts professionals working internationally in Wales and organising an international forum for the arts in Wales to discuss and overcome challenges.


1.3 International Opportunities Fund

WAI has a small travel fund to assist ourartists to work internationally. This is the onlyform of direct grant that we offer. Thescheme is aimed at developing:

research for international projects that will take place either in Wales oroutside the UK

participation in international projectstaking place outside the UK that eitherinvolve individual artists who live in Wales,or professional arts organisations based in Wales.

WAI works with our partners and the variousarts sectors to develop intelligence on priorityareas on which to concentrate our resources.WAI cannot fund the development of allinitiatives but will communicate opportunitiesfor artists and arts organisations in Walesand will continue to offer travel supportunder the International Opportunities Fund.

WAI will work both with artists and artsorganisations to develop their respectivepriorities and to assist all with whom we workto focus their international work around theirpriorities. This will continue to inform WAI’spriorities. WAI will also work with otherrepresentative bodies from Wales who canhelp to develop international business plansfor arts companies in Wales e.g.International Business Wales.

The Arts Council of Wales has severalfunding streams which are relevant tointernational work. (See ACW InternationalPolicy and Funding Guidelines available onthe ACW website).

Objective 2: investment

Over the course of the next five years, WAI has a target to increase its programmefunding fourfold. We will do so throughworking with the British Council to ensureartists and arts organisations in Walesparticipate in their global projects. We willalso establish a European cultural desk andwork with the Arts Council’s BusinessDevelopment team to explore new fundingopportunities. We will also seek to raiseprivate funding from foundations andbusinesses to develop international work inWales.

2.1 British Council Arts Group

Changes to the way the British Councilmanages international projects bringopportunities. WAI works with the BritishCouncil Arts Group, as the conduit fororganisations and artists in Wales toparticipate in major British Council projects.

Unlike the UK's Arts Councils, the BritishCouncil is not an arts funding organisation; it rather uses the arts to respond to the UK'sinternational strategic and geographicalpriorities by promoting the debate of issuesand ideas, challenging opinions andincreasing understanding between cultures.

The British Council works closely with WAIand partners to identify opportunities forcollaboration which will meet the differentobjectives of partnerships, to ensure that itcapitalises on different strengths, and thatthe Council responds to the interests andinternational aspirations of the UK arts andcreative industries sectors. WAI works topromote the artists of Wales in the BritishCouncil programme of projects throughoutthe world.


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The new senior Arts Group post created towork with the Wales Arts International teamand others will help to deliver this strategy.The post will identify opportunities andfacilitate artists and arts organisations fromWales to participate in British Councilprojects.

2.2 European Cultural Desk

WAI supports the creation of a Europeancultural desk to help bring greaterinvestments and new opportunities into thearts in Wales.

WAI recognises that European Union projectsare too large for smaller organisations orindividuals to manage adequately. WAI willtherefore lead on developing EU projects thatinvest in developing the arts sector in Walesin an international context.

The aims of the European Cultural Desk are:

a. to develop WAI’s capacity to identify, develop and submit successful transnational bids to the EU for funding for WAI’s strategic projects


Cai Tomos (photo: courtesy of artist)

13b. to develop and deliver this strategy

c. to develop knowledge and intelligence within WAI/ ACW and to share with and develop European engagement for the wider sector in Wales’

d. develop partnership with key partners and networks – in particular through key EU and British Council networks

e. to become sustainable in the long term,

f. to engage with relevant partners in WAG.

2.3 Government bodies, Foundations and businesses

WAI will participate or facilitate others to bepart of relevant global and local networksthat bring investment to artistic practice inWales.

For projects to be sustainable in the longterm, they need to develop diversifiedrevenue routes.

Throughout Wales and the world, there is agrowing recognition of the value of the artsto other sectors of society. WAI and itsfunding partners will explore opportunities to both learn from others as well as sharegood practice from Wales with the world.

WAI will seek to develop new relationshipsthat could bring in new sources ofinternational funding into the arts in Wales. It may be in the form of sponsorship, R&D oras match funding for successful bids to othersources (e.g. European, British Council,private investments, foundations).

Objective 3: international impact andrecognition

WAI will create, manage and promote aprogramme of activities and projects that are designed to foster artistic and creativeexcellence and which will have internationalrecognition and impact. There will generallybe three types of projects:

3.1 showcases and visits (e.g. at Venice Biennale or British Dance Edition etc)

3.2 Arts projects that develop cultural relations (with priority countries)

3.3 Residencies and encounters

The three categories identified in the pyramidat the end of this strategy are the key to thispriority, as the opportunities for impact andrecognition are linked to the three levels ofsupport:

1. artist led

2. sector led

3. form relationships with other cultures through the arts

WAI will work with artists and organisationswho are leading the field and the quality of whose work may be gauged at aninternational level to develop bothrecognition and impact. Artist-led initiativessupports the Arts Council of Wales’sinternational Policy which is committed to “Develop international ambition andexcellence - enhance the ability of artistsand arts organisations to build aninternational profile”.


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WAI will support sector-led forums that bringinternational and Welsh practitionerstogether to exchange ideas and experiences.WAI will continue to work with partners inWales and beyond to showcase the best ofWelsh arts in the most relevant festivals andshowcases. WAI will seek additional supportfor partners for new showcasingopportunities.

WAI will work to form relationships with othercultures through the arts. This can developmeaningful cultural relations for Wales thatsupport artistic collaboration and mutualbenefits for both countries. WAI and ourpartners will support international cultural

relations for Wales that benefit the arts whilstalso reaching people. In this respect, WAIwill favour projects that have clear culturaland social benefits. The voluntary culturalsector in Wales already plays a role indeveloping cultural relations, especially in thefield of intercultural dialogue.

WAI will engage with stakeholders (e.g.Welsh Assembly Government) to create aprofile for Wales that will benefit the sector.WAI will also work with the relevant playersin Wales to identify and focus on prioritycountries where there are wider key prioritiesfocusing on arts and culture.

llun: Sue Corr

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Sectoral Expertise

The ambition is to grow WAI’s capacity toincrease the activities, opportunities andinvestment over the next five years. Tosupport WAI staff to do so, a voluntaryadvisory group of people will be created.Experts from the arts sector in Wales (throughthe Arts Council’s list of advisors) and keyinternational arts advisers will advise and

inform our operation. Advisers will beimpartial and independent. WAI will alsocontinue to work with a strategic steeringgroup representing partners and the sector to continuously evaluate this strategy. WAIwill establish, on needs basis, panels ofexperts to select artists for individual projects.

Delivery


(photo: Cody Williams)

16 Structuring our work

The new WAI structure of projects willtherefore be the following:


Objective 1: Maximising international opportunities

Communications

Networks

International Opportunities Fund

Objective 2: Investment

European Union

British Council

Other government bodies, Foundations and businesses

Objective 3: impact and recognition in each art form

Art form showcasing and visits

art projects that develop cultural relationships

residencies and /encounters

All projects will form part of WAI’s network.Some projects will continue to be managedexternally by the relevant organisation orproject manager.

Criteria for our work

The criteria for all WAI projects are:

The project brings new work for artists

The project fosters excellence

The project benefits the sector in Wales

The project increases funding to the arts

The project has a sustainable / long term development value with partners/collaborators abroad

The projects develop inter-culturalrelations through the arts

17Monitoring and evaluation:

WAI will create annual activity plans that will provide a framework for our work andprojects. WAI will evaluate our projectsagainst the aims and desired outcomes of those projects.

Geographic priorities

WAI will work strategically with ourstakeholders in some (but not all) of theirpriority countries when there is a clearopportunity to develop the arts in Wales andwhen there is investment to support theinitiatives. The same criteria for our projectsas above will apply. Priorities will change asrelationships with those countries developand mature.

WAI’s country /geographic priorities will bealigned to some but not all of the following:

(a) artistic led agreements signed by ACW e.g. Quebec

(b) British Council Arts Group cultural relations priorities (e.g.India)

(c) Welsh Assembly Government’s cultural relations priorities (e.g. China)

WAI will cooperate with the relevantdepartments in the Wales AssemblyGovernment to identify where the arts andculture can play a key role and work with therelevant departments of WAG (e.g. Heritage,International Business Wales, European andExternal Affairs etc)

The WAI pyramid model will ensure thatprojects will meet the aims of this strategy.Priority will be given to projects that benefitthe artists and the sector in Wales incollaboration with partners in prioritycountries.

a) artist

b) art form / sector

c) priority countryopportunities and investments with

clear artistic benefits


Assistant officer – information (and communications)objectives: develop & manage WAI’s internet presencedevelop and coordinate information activity for WAI

Project Management (internal and external officer level)objectives: to manage and deliver specific projects with responsibilities for overall coordination, point of contact for partners, inform, support & involve WAI team.

(internal eg Venice and external eg British Council/ EU)

Head of International Projects (and Operations)objectives: responsible for operational plan:

i) projects ii) systems iii) staff

Arts Council of WalesDirector of Arts

Director objectives: strategy and direction,

investment objectives/ targets advocacy and communicationsPA to director:

objectives: provide full secretarial and admin support to Director

comms support for WAI projects

Senior Adviser, Arts Creative Industries and New Media, British Councilobjectives:1) to manage the relationship and the development

of projects between WAI/ arts in Wales and the British Council international network

2) strategic planning and development

18Annex A: WAI organigram


Strategy support: ACW Dir. Of Arts, ACW Council Member, BC Arts Group, BC Wales advisory group, WAG Culture/ international.Objectives: to support the delivery/ review of WAI strategy

Artistic international advisory panel: From the ACW National List of AdvisorsObjectives: to advise on needs basis and meet annually.

freelance Venice Commissioner and/ Curator

Assistant officer - enquiries and financesobjectives: Coordinate administration of International Opportunities Fund, financial records coordination, general admin support to HoPO and director to deliver strategy, operational plan / project programme

EU Cultural Desk Officerobjectives:1) to meet WAI investment

objectives through applications through EU trans-national funds

2) information about opportunities to sector

3) partnership search and opportunities

WAI Vision for 2013:transform opportunities for international artistic practitioners in Wales

invest in artistic practice and cultural leadership in Walesthrough engagement in global andlocal networks

bring financial investments to thearts and creative economy in Wales

form relationships with differentcultures through the arts

foster international artistic excellence in Wales

further international impactand recognition for the arts andculture of Wales.

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New investment to WAI from:EU

BC

WAG

Foundations

Private

Annex B: WAI strategy in brief

Maximising international opportunities through:1. Communications2. international networks3. International Opportunities Fund

International impact and recognition:1. showcases2. cultural relations3. encounters & visits


wales arts international strategy

Documents

wales arts internationals

arts strategyboard

arts organisations

arts travel

arts andthe culture

wales toengage

arts councils expertise

thearts council of wales