Last chance to respond to consultation on priorities for culture in Wales

The Welsh Government is inviting responses from the museum sector on its three strategic priorities for culture from 2024 to 2030.

The consultation is due to close on Wednesday 4 September.

The government is working to embed the goals of its Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, one of which is to create “a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language”, in policy portfolios at a national and local level.

Guided by the act, the priorities for culture will provide a policy framework and strategic direction for the arts, museum, library, archive and historic environment sectors covering the period 2024-2030.

The three draft priorities for culture are:

• Culture brings us together: Culture is for everyone, about everyone, and created by everyone – it is defined by its inclusivity, accessibility and diversity.
• A nation of culture: Culture is central to our identity as a nation. Culture supports deep and lasting relationships with others across the world. Culture is celebrated.
• Culture is resilient and sustainable: Wales’ tangible and intangible assets are identified, cared for, and managed to the highest standards. Culture has a strong and robust workforce, anchored in expertise. Culture demonstrates collective responsibility and a strong response to global concerns.

Under these priorities, the government has outlined 20 ambitions that it hopes to achieve by 2030 (see box below).  

The draft document states: “To support the delivery of these strategic priorities, we will continue to work in partnership with our cultural arm’s length bodies, sector support organisations and act as the development agency for the local museums, libraries and archives sectors.

“We are not setting strategic priorities for sport or for the creative industries in Wales, however there is an expectation these sectors will consider how to respond to this document, how they will embed its ambitions in their strategic and operational planning and how they can work, in partnership, with our sectors to support, nurture and promote culture.

It adds: “These priorities have been developed during a period of severe financial constraint. The public sector in Wales has been impacted by cuts in funding over a number of years and the culture sector feels fragile and vulnerable.

“Declining budgets, high rates of inflation and soaring energy prices have led to severely challenging financial circumstances and far-reaching consequences for those in receipt of public funding, but we are determined this should not restrict our long-term ambition.”

Sharon Heal, director of the Museums Association (MA), said: “The priorities for culture which have been outlined are comprehensive and provide a strong foundation for fostering community integration, enhancing access and nurturing a sense of place and identity. These elements are crucial in creating a Wales where everyone feels a sense of belonging and purpose and has access to culture across the nation.

“However to transform these ambitions into tangible outcomes, it is essential that they are backed by core funding commitments. Local and national museums in Wales have had to deal with significant funding reductions over the past few years and will not be able to meet these ambitious priorities without adequate and ongoing financial investment.”

The government plans to update and enhance the priorities in 2026 and keep the document under review thereafter.

Ambitions

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.

 

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.

 

Culture is resilient and sustainable

• A14: Our collections and historic assets are cared for, and used to support learning, creativity, place-making and cultural wellbeing.
• 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.