10. Plaid Cymru Debate: The challenges facing the Arts, Culture and Heritage sectors

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:27 pm on 7 October 2020.

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Photo of Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Independent 6:27, 7 October 2020

Thank you, Jenny Rathbone, for your references to David Stacey and the great legacy of Sherman Theatre and also your support for Rubicon Dance, with which I have strong connections. I was pleased to be able to visit the Roath library building and I hope that what is a central building, really, in the middle of Cardiff, and has great architectural value—I very much hope that there can be funding, a combination of private and public funding, made available for the revitalisation of this place for Rubicon Dance.

Clwb Ifor Bach: I was one of the original contributors to the setting up of that club, and, again, you're absolutely right, we must try and ensure that we can find a way of ensuring that these music venues—which we have funded, by the way; we have given limited funding to music venues already. It was one of the first things we did as a Government as this crisis developed.

Neil Hamilton regaled us with his performance at the Edinburgh festival; I wish I could have seen it. But he also emphasised the importance of the public health impact of lockdown measures and made some comparisons with Sweden. Well, unfortunately, Wales is not Sweden, and the kind of social and political culture that exists there is not exactly replicated in Wales. But he also said some supportive things about the position of ethnic minorities, but I don't think he was so keen on Black Lives Matter. I think Black Lives Matter is very important because it's an international movement of the black community and is very much strongly reflected in the black communities in north and south Wales, and I think it's our duty as a Government to indicate that where we can we support activities that are community-based around the black community.

Rhianon Passmore is always very strong on support for music and she asked for greater clarity on guidance, especially guidance for private music teachers, and, certainly, I will have another look at this following our discussion. 

I think I've referred to most of the people who have spoken, so again, I'm very grateful for this opportunity to respond, and I will study anything else that was said in the debate that I haven't specifically referred to.