Dr Daniel Watt - Lecturer in English and Drama, Loughborough University

F.A.O. :
Arts Council Wales


Dear Sir or Madam,


It is with regret that I hear of your decision to withdraw funding from the Centre for Performance Research with effect from July 2008. I shall declare my interest firstly so as to keep you fully in the picture of my statement below. I worked for the Centre for Performance Research from January 2004 – January 2006, as a research and publications assistant. I am therefore familiar with their working methods and am writing to you in the hope that you will reverse your decision. Indeed more than that: that you will see sense and increase your funding of CPR rather than the proposed move to ‘possible one-off project funding’ for which I read ‘Death Sentence’.

As you must be aware, CPR has been at the forefront of innovative theatre and performance practice in Wales for many years. During those 30 years CPR has brought many leading companies to Wales that would otherwise never have visited. They have staged performance works of the highest calibre and been proactive in bringing theatre to many communities across the country.

CPR has consistently nurtured performers who have gone on to become leading international practitioners. As much of ACW’s current thrust of thought centres around the international context of the arts in Wales it seems quite illogical to cut the funding from an organisation that has continually worked to bring about such possibilities.

Put simply the proposed cuts you suggest will destroy CPR as an independent organisation, and in so doing will also make a number of highly skilled and dedicated staff unemployed. The ‘project funding’ plan is not viable. Who will run the projects? Who will plan them? Staff brought in piecemeal on a project by project basis, with no knowledge of the way the organisation functions, the venues available, the best means by which to provide context, and practical considerations of travel, accommodation and food? And beyond this there is the consideration of the amount of visitors who come to Wales and Aberystwyth specifically for CPR’s work using local hotels and restaurants and the economic impact of this decision. All of this from a core grant that enables a small team to function and projects to flow. The programme alone, additionally enabled by facilities and support from Aberystywth University, is ‘worth’ the small grant of £118,000, leaving aside other economic benefits for the region. This sort of programme is not possible without the knowledge and dedication of a core team of very experienced people.

CPR has stayed true to its commitment to Wales; please recognise and reward this commitment; reverse your decision, and put in its place an increase of funding and guarantee of support, rather than the precarious and unfathomable existence on ‘Death Row’ that ‘possible’ project funding would create.


Yours faithfully,


Dr Daniel Watt
Lecturer in English and Drama
Loughborough University