Ailsa Richardson - Artist, performer, director, arts project manager and teacher

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to support the appeal by CPR to reverse the Arts Council's decision to withdraw revenue funding from the organisation. I am an artist, performer and director - I also work as an arts project manager and teacher and have a background as community worker and community artist. I grew up in West Wales then moved away from the country at 18. My return to live and study/work in Wales in 2001 (since when I have stayed) is mainly due to the existence and work of CPR. As an artist and fledgling performer and director the experience of CPR's work, hospitality and resources (especially in the form of training) was an incredible inspiration and opened doors literally to a world of performance and innovation. The organisation matched very well with my own interests but also acted as a meeting place, a hub of networking - between and amongst companies and individual artists/performers/directors. It was very exciting to me that this existed so near to where I grew up and was a source of pride to me in this way.

Over the years CPR has continued to provide me with training, support and an opening of doors to innovative thinking and experimental performance. It has put me in contact with prestigious international practitioners who have come to Wales and who I have traveled abroad to work with. In a wider context CPR creates a hub of International connections in the field of theatre and performance and has an ambassadorial role for Wales in this way. When I have traveled I have taken part of this centre for excellence with me and how many times I have I watched people form all parts of the world discovering, and falling in love with, West Wales when their visits and experiences were made possible by the activities and projects of CPR; these people came for special projects to work with special people and discovered a special place.

As a centre for excellence in its field surely CPR has a very important role to play in the future development and regeneration of Wales - firstly because the nature of creativity, especially in theatre and performance, has a lot to offer in the field of sustainable living and creating new notions of community and secondly, because Wales can lead in this sort of research and development - be proactive rather than reactive; finding where the next necessity/trend will be rather than following what others have done before. In order to be truly local we have to be truly universal.

Projects and local initiatives like CPR, that support local practitioners and draw those from further afield to our small but beautiful country (rather than big centralised projects) are essential and it is important that these are not solely controlled by academic institutions with academic agendas. It is centres of innovation on the periphery (in Wales) that keep creative, innovative self starters like myself here and in rural areas (people who have a huge loyalty to the country yet struggle with career development here). Without these centres the country the landscape and culture may not be enough to keep us here because we need to engage with the future, be on the cutting edge, and not be isolated.

Yours Sincerely,


Ailsa Richardson
Artist, performer, director, arts project manager and teacher