The state of Outdoor Arts in Wales:
- 80.77% cited funding as their primary barrier to delivering work.
- 62.9% feared they may not survive the next five years.
- Sector health rated only 3.67/7, with weak scores for artist support, geographic reach, and collaboration.
- 89.7% identified communities—especially in North Wales, Southwest Wales, and rural Mid Wales—that currently lack access to outdoor arts.
Articulture’s place in the sector:
The survey evidenced respect for Articulture’s deep sector knowledge, strong networks, high-quality commissioning and trusted leadership.
However, it also raised concerns about the organisation’s vulnerability when reliant on project-to-project funding and with no salaried staff.
Those surveyed said Articulture needs to:
- Secure core funding (88.9% prioritise ACW partnership as highest priority)
- Build internal capacity through salaried leadership and business development
- Deliver tangible artist support – commissioning (75%), mentoring (86.2%), funding facilitation (60.7%)
- Address geographic inequality particularly in North Wales and rural communities
- Lead sector advocacy once foundations are stable
Immediate practitioner needs:
- Funding opportunities (82.76%)
- Commissioning and direct paid work (77.3%)
- Skills development (46.2%)
- Networking and collaboration (30%)
What people in the sector want from Articulture:
- Artist mentoring and development (86.2%)
- Commissioning programmes (75%)
- A year round national network (67.9%)
- Funding facilitation and advocacy (60.7%)
- Artist–venue partnerships (67.9%)
Support for ACW Core Funding:
- 88.9% rank Arts Council Wales as the top funding priority.
Core revenue is seen as essential for:
- Establishing a salaried leadership team
- Building organisational stability
- Enabling funding diversification
- Delivering services at scale
Strategic Priorities Identified
- Stabilise the organisation
- Secure ACW core funding
- Establish salaried roles
- Build business development and strategic capacity
- Deliver sectorwide services
- Commissioning
- Mentoring and professional development
- National year round network
- Funding facilitation and partnerships
- Addressing geographic inequalities
- Lead systemic change
- Policy influence
- Advocacy
- National visibility
- Longterm crosssector partnerships (environment, tourism, health)
- Vision for 2030
- 70% express a positive vision for Welsh outdoor arts
Dreams include:
- A thriving, visible national sector
- More events across Wales
- More diverse artists and communities
- International recognition
- Strong integration with well being, tourism, and community development
Conclusion
The evidence is unequivocal: the outdoor arts sector in Wales needs urgent support, and Articulture is the organisation best positioned to deliver it—if core funding enables it to build the necessary capacity.
The sector knows what it needs, trusts who should lead it, and is ready for coordinated transformation.
The challenge now is securing the resources to turn consensus into action.
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Photo: Alex Holland
