Consultation on the draft Priorities for Culture in Wales 2024 to 2030

We are seeking responses to Priorities for Culture 2024 to 2030. 

This Wales only consultation invites your views on proposed priorities for culture in Wales. There are 3 priorities, supported by 20 more detailed ambitions, which set out long-term priorities for culture. We use the word culture as short-hand for the activity of the arts, museums, archives, libraries and historic environment sectors in Wales.

The development of these priorities has been guided by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act’s 5 sustainable ways of working:  long-term, prevention, integration, collaboration, and involvement. 

An Easy-Read version of the priorities, a British Sign Language (BSL) introduction and summary and a Young Person’s guide to the priorities are also available. 

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act recognises the importance of cultural well-being in improving the lives of people. One of the central goals of the Act is to create ‘A Wales of Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language’.

The Programme for Government commits to developing a new culture strategy and despite an increasingly restrictive financial settlement for Wales, we are determined to take this work forward. 

We are convinced of the power of the arts, culture and creativity in supporting individual and community well-being, and believe our culture sector can develop creative solutions to the challenges which face our communities. 

In developing our new priorities for culture, we engaged with over 400 sector and community representatives. We believe the priorities and ambitions reflect conversations around existing good practice and convey a strategic vision for the future which has grown organically, from the sector itself. They set out a clear framework for the culture sector in Wales for the next 7 years, taking us beyond the next term of Government.

We hope that the priorities and ambitions support the principle that every person in Wales has the right to access, create, participate in, and see themselves reflected in the cultural activity of our nation.

Our priorities and ambitions are shown below:

Priority 1: Culture brings us together

• A1: Culture is inclusive, accessible and diverse.
• A2: Cultural democracy and cultural rights are central to culture in Wales.
• A3: Culture takes an inclusive and balanced approach to interpreting, commemorating and presenting our past.
• A4: Culture is integral to place-making and community well-being.
• A5: Culture reflects the needs and aspirations of children and young people, and inspires the next generation of cultural participants and leaders.
• A6: Culture strengthens the connection between generations.

Priority 2: A nation of culture

• A7: Culture supports and promotes the Welsh language and reflects Wales as a bilingual and multilingual nation.
• A8: Cultural well-being is deeply embedded into policy making across Wales.
• A9: Cultural engagement supports individual and community well-being.
• A10: Culture and heritage bodies will work more collaboratively to maximise the full potential of both their specialist teams and their collections, and will work with other sectors to explore and leverage the power of culture.
• A11: Culture supports tourism; tourism supports culture. Culture has a high profile in how our nation is marketed to visitors.
• A12: Culture is integrated into how Wales establishes and develops international relationships.
• A13: The profile of culture in Wales is raised, by celebrating and promoting culture at a local, national and international level.

Priority 3: Culture is resilient and sustainable

• A14: Our collections and historic assets are cared for, and used to support learning, creativity, place-making and cultural well-being.
• A15: Organisations responsible for the protection and care of our cultural collections and historic assets have strategic approaches to recognising significance and collecting.
• A16: Our intangible cultural heritage is an intrinsic part of our national story; it is recorded, supported to thrive, and shared with others for the benefit of future generations.
• A17: Culture is supported and enhanced by good digital practice.
• A18: Culture has a collaborative and long-term approach to research and gathering evidence.
• A19: The culture sector in Wales is a great place to work and volunteer, with a professional and skilled workforce.
• A20: The culture sector demonstrates leadership and collaboration in its approaches to  sustainable development, building resilience, and tackling all aspects of the climate and nature emergencies.

Further narrative around these can be found in the accompanying Priorities for Culture document, the Easy Read version, the Young People’s version as well as the BSL introduction and summary video.

Priority 1: Culture brings us together 

Q1. To what extent do you agree this priority should feature in our  priorities for culture in Wales?

Ambition 1: Culture is inclusive, accessible and diverse

Q2. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 2: Cultural democracy and cultural rights are central to culture in Wales

Q3. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 3: Culture takes an inclusive and balanced approach to interpreting, commemorating and presenting our past

Q4. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 4: Culture is integral to place-making and community well-being

Q5. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 5: Culture reflects the needs and aspirations of children and young people, and inspires the next generation of cultural participants and leaders

Q6. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 6: Culture strengthens the connection between generations

Q7. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Q8. Are there any ambitions missing which could further support this priority?

Q9. Please use this box to add any further comments you may have regarding Priority 1: Culture brings us together. If you have answered “no” to any question in this section, please explain why here.

Priority 2:  A Nation of Culture

Q10. To what extent do you agree this priority should feature in our priorities for culture in Wales? 

Ambition 7: Culture supports and promotes the Welsh language and reflects Wales as a bilingual and multilingual nation

Q11. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 8: Cultural well-being is deeply embedded into policy making across Wales

Q12. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 9: Cultural engagement supports individual and community well-being

Q13. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 10: Culture and heritage bodies will work more collaboratively to maximise the full potential of both their specialist teams and their collections, and will work with other sectors to explore and leverage the power of culture

Q14. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 11: Culture supports tourism; tourism supports culture. Culture has a high profile in how our nation is marketed to visitors

Q15. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 12: Culture is integrated into how Wales establishes and develops international relationships

Q16. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 13: The profile of culture in Wales is raised, by celebrating and promoting culture at a local, national and international level

Q17. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Q18. Are there any ambitions missing which could further support this priority?

Q19. Please use this box to add any further comments you may have regarding Priority 2:  A Nation of Culture, If you have answered “no” to any question in this section, please explain why here.

Priority 3: Culture is resilient and responsible

Q20. To what extent do you agree this priority should feature in our  priorities for culture in Wales? 

Ambition 14: Our collections and historic assets are cared for, and used to support learning, creativity, place-making and cultural well-being

Q21. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 15: Organisations responsible for the protection and care of our cultural collections and historic assets have strategic approaches to recognising significance and collecting

Q22. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 16: Our intangible cultural heritage is an intrinsic part of our national story; it is recorded, supported to thrive, and shared with others for the benefit of future generations

Q23. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 17: Culture is supported and enhanced by good digital practice

Q24. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 18: Culture has a collaborative and long-term approach to research and gathering evidence

Q25. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 19: The culture sector in Wales is a great place to work and volunteer, with a professional and skilled workforce

Q26. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Ambition 20: The culture sector demonstrates leadership and collaboration in its approaches to sustainable development, building resilience, and tackling all aspects of the climate and nature emergencies

Q27. Should we include this ambition as part of our Priorities?

Q28. Are there any ambitions missing which could further support this priority?

Q29. Please use this box to add any further comments you have regarding Priority 3: Culture is resilient and sustainable. If you have answered “no” to any question in this section, please explain why here.

Questions relating to the Welsh Language

Q30. What, in your opinion, would be the likely effects of the proposed Priorities for Culture on the Welsh language?  We are particularly interested in any likely effects on opportunities to use the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English. 

• Do you think that there are opportunities to promote any positive effects?
• Do you think that there are opportunities to mitigate any adverse effects?  

Q31. In your opinion, could the Priorities for Culture be formulated or changed so as to:

• have positive effects or more positive effects on using the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English; or 
• mitigate any negative effects on using the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English?

Q32. We have asked a number of specific questions. If you have any related issues which we have not specifically addressed, please use this space to report them:

Submit your comments by 4 September 2024, in any of the following ways:

• complete our online form
• download, complete our response form and email culture@gov.wales
• download, complete our response form and post to:

Cultural Priorities 2024 Consultation
Culture Division
Welsh Government Office
Sarn Mynach
Llandudno Junction
Conwy
LL31 9RZ

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Number: WG48829

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