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Towards the Provision of a National Theatre for Wales
A Federal System
An Alternative Drama Strategy for Wales - A Ten Year Plan
Dateline: 13th February, 2000
This week's feature is a paper written by Michael Bogdanov with Phil Clark, first published in this form in December, 1999
In 1994 we launched a paper setting out a federal vision of a National Theatre for Wales. It was an attempt to raise the profile of theatre to match that of music and opera, place the debate on theatre provision for Wales in the public and political domain, accord theatre the prominence and importance as an art form that it receives in other countries, and take advantage of a new energy building up in both languages. It was produced in the belief that a National Assembly was just around the corner. It was a vision for the new millennium.
In the interim the Arts Council of Wales has produced a plan that effectively halves what provision currently exists - already too little in relation to the rest of Britain and continental Europe.
This paper sets out to examine the possibility of an alternative drama strategy for Wales. We begin by accepting the status quo, provide an initial basic provision for South Wales, then broaden out to include the whole country through large, medium and small scale professional output, in tandem with an educational and training infrastructure. At this stage the paper is merely an idea for discussion. It is written in the knowledge that the National Assembly is currently formulating a cultural strategy for Wales and that no plan can hope to succeed without the intimate involvement and co-operation of that Assembly and of the Local Authorities, who shoulder much of the financial responsibility. It also recognises the not insubstantial amounts of money that will have to be found to support such a plan.
A new beginning is needed. An old country is becoming a new nation, a contemporary nation. It needs a theatre that reflects that newness and contemporariness. There is a new mood a-foot, a new energy, reflected in the explosion of creativity in young people led by our popular music groups who have taken the name of Wales world-wide. We have a National Assembly, soon to be housed in a modern context. Our state-of-the-art Rugby stadium is the envy of nations. The Barrage is complete, the Millennium Centre is under way. We have a National Opera Company, a National Orchestra, a National Dance Company, a National Youth Theatre, a National Museum - why no National Theatre? There has never been a better time in our history to unite our two languages and our orally rich and multi-culturally diverse society under one banner. The starting point lies with the National Assembly and the Local Authorities.
National does not mean ‘nationalist’, for the National Theatre of Wales should not be limited by national or linguistic boundaries. Output and training in both the Welsh and English languages will be on a basis of mutual co-operation and equal development, providing opportunities for the exploration and propagation of both cultures nationally and internationally. Such thinking is in line with the policy of the National Assembly of Wales.
A diverse creative environment must be established which allows for cultural cross-fertilisation and encompasses individual voices engaged in a particular strand of work. Smaller companies should be affiliated, where desired to larger bases, Young People’s theatres to existing Theatre in Education teams and parent companies. It is vital that the individual working practises of existing artists and groups be respected and maintained and that the National Theatre be seen only as a resource to enhance the output of such artists and groups where and when this is appropriate.
The process should be an organic one. Consultation should take place, and should be seen to take place, with all parties at every stage. The intention is to build on what is already there, enhancing facilities that exist, providing where they do not. Co-operation and the sharing of output and facilities within the framework of a National Theatre should be the order of the day.
The vision set out below is one way of achieving these aims. It is deliberately ambitious. None of us underestimates the difficulties of achieving it, in whole or in part, but the entire artistic community, as well as a wider public, must be mobilised behind a more focused vision for theatre in Wales to make it a dynamic and relevant force in our society.
This vision is not about power, but about the blossoming of Welsh talent and ensuring that the diversity of our culture is celebrated in large epic form alongside the work that currently exists. The National Theatre of Wales is not about threatening the work of the artists currently pursuing their craft, but creating an infrastructure for development and co-operation. A federal system would allow all the people of Wales to lay claim to their national theatre with pride, ownership and empowerment.
Next : The Service - A Need for the
Arts. A Need for Theatre - a Mission Statement
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