"The institutions and buildings facing closure bring more value to our lives than what can be counted on any spreadsheet: they enhance our lives, and delight us"

Delyth Jewell is a Member of the Senedd for South Wales East and deputy leader of Plaid Cymru

One of the most striking images from the TUC Congress earlier this month was the support given to the Welsh National Opera chorus and orchestra by trade unions in Brighton. I have always regarded support for culture and arts as being a prerequisite for any civilised society.

I was relieved to hear earlier this week that the strikes that had been planned by the WNO chorus had been paused, after productive discussions with management.

Action short of strike has still gone ahead, coinciding with the opening night of Rigoletto on Saturday 21 September, and a deal, of course, has still not been reached. The coming days and weeks will be crucial in determining the future of this world-class company. It is in all of our interests for cultural jewels like this to be supported.

And the WNO is sadly not the only cultural institution at risk of cuts. Over the summer, I have joined campaigners in support of saving Llancaiach Fawr Manor and Blackwood Miners’ Institute, which are both to be found in the valleys area I represent. Both of these historic centres face imminent closure by Caerphilly council, because of budget cuts – and if they close, I truly fear they will never reopen.

Such closures would be devastating for the area. Blackwood Miners Institute was opened nearly 100 years ago, and was paid for by the miners themselves, to ensure that their family members and community had a place to go for concerts, for entertainment, and for joy.  Since that time, the Miners has become a hotspot for performing arts, and is as likely to host gigs as school concerts and plays. But its importance isn’t only centred on fostering the talent of the future; the Miners also provides us with a vital link to our area’s past. Its imposing façade speaks to a time when miners sacrificed the little spare money they had to provide a place for socialising, education and leisure. It would be a travesty for that link to be severed, and its doors close for good.

Llancaiach Fawr’s history goes back many centuries more, and is thought to have been built in the 16th century. The manor house was the home of Colonel Edward Pritchard at the time of the Civil War, and in the present day, it is possible to go back in time and experience the manor house as it would have been then: there are actors there who guide tours around the house, in character. For children in particular, it is a magical place, which has also hosted ghost tours, cultural festivals, local fairs and carol concerts over the years. This, too, is a hub for the community, which enriches people’s lives. Why should our valleys yet again be told that we can’t afford to keep these places that make life worth living?

If the local authority does indeed decide to close these cultural venues, I’ll be calling on the Welsh Government and other public bodes to step in to secure these sites for the community and for future generations.

It’s high time we in Wales asked what price we place on culture. The institutions and buildings facing closure bring more value to our lives than what can be counted on any spreadsheet: they enhance our lives, and delight us. Perhaps we should look to other nations, like Scotland, which have appreciated the value of the arts, by increasing recent arts budgets instead of slashing them. For if we lose sight of the arts’ intrinsic value, it will cost us all dearly.

Image credit: Steve Eason – Creative Commons

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