Ioan Williams - Professor Emeritus, Aberystwyth University

I feel obliged not only to write in general support of CPR in the current emergency, but also to register certain facts about the relationship between CPR and the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth, which may well be the subject of some misunderstanding.

As Head of the Department concerned some ten years ago, I was responsible for the invitation to CPR to relocate to Aberystwyth and to enter into a relationship with the Department. The basis of this invitation was a belief that CPR’s work was closely cognate to that of the Department to a degree which justified our offering accommodation and financial support. The subsequent relationship was based on a mutual understanding that CPR could only continue with the wide and varied range of its activities with continued Arts Council support. The University could never have offered funding to these activities itself and this was clearly understood by the Arts Council at the time. The Arts Council were party to the discussions and arrangements and it was strongly in support of the arrangement on the grounds that it strengthened CPR as an organisation and enhanced its ability to carry out project work the Council was happy to support.

It should be clearly understood by all concerned that withdrawing financial support from CPR must seriously impair its ability to carry out the work which has earned it such an outstanding reputation nationally and internationally.

In that case it seems to me that the only rational basis for a decision to withdraw funding would be that the Arts Council had come to the conclusion either that the work was no longer of an appropriate standard, or that it was no longer relevant to the performance scene in Wales. I cannot believe that anyone could seriously maintain either of those propositions. There has been no decline in the standard of CPR’s work. It has been consistently outstanding over the years and just as consistently recognised as such by the Council itself. Nor has the environment in Wales or beyond altered in such as way as to reduce its relevance or productive effect. On the contrary, the trends in performance and performance theory which CPR recognised so early and has done so much to promote remain strong.

I am sure we all understand that the Council has a duty to ensure that funding mechanisms remain relevant to the overall situation of the Arts in Wales from decade to decade and that the decisions currently being made must observe relevant executive parameters. At the same time, revision should surely be founded on clear and consistent principles, rather than administrative convenience.

I remain optimistic relative to CPR, simply because it is difficult to believe that decisions can be made in the current political environment which are so clearly wrong. In the meantime I would like to offer the company my support and encouragement.

With best wishes,


Ioan Williams
Professor Emeritus, Aberystwyth University