Untitled - Literature Wales

The Welsh AcademyAnnual Report292009-2010 ActivitiesAcademi is acutely aware of the economicpressures now facing the arts and is takingwhat steps it can to ensure continueddelivery Wales-wide of its outstanding literaryprovision. In step with ACW’s own strategyfor transparency and economy, Academihas made publicly available its financialand statistical returns and is looking for costsavings throughout its operation.The financial year which this report covers(2008-2009) has been the busiest ever inAcademi’s existence. The more well-knownthe Agency becomes the greater the demandthere is for our services. The greater thedemand the more Academi needs to respond.Welsh literature grows. Academi for 2009-2010will need to spend existing resource with careand increasingly make strategic choices.The three main problems noted in our earlierreports all remain:1 Poor remuneration for authors2 Insufficient resource to maintain Academi’seducation-centred Writers On Tour schemefor a full twelve months3 Insufficient resource to meet demandfor bursary awardsThe search for additional funding fromthe public and private sectors, from trusts,foundations, charities and businesses, fromWelsh Assembly Government departmentsand from the European Union will be pursued.In particular for 2009-2010 Academi will: Review forward plans to facilitate thecontinued promotion of literature during arecession.– Seek to secure a digital future for the WelshAcademy Encyclopaedia of Wales.– Continue to promote the hard-copyversions of the Welsh AcademyEncyclopaedia of Wales through events,lectures and other interventions.– Award the winners of the 2009 AcademiCardiff International Poetry Competition.– With the support of Cardiff Council launchthe 2010 Academi Cardiff InternationalPoetry Competition.– Work with partners to appoint and promotethe work of a new Bardd Plant Cymru(Children’s Poet for Wales).– Work with the Welsh Assembly Governmenton the provision of literary content forthe Wales component of the SmithsonianFolklife Festival in Washington DC.– Promote an increased range of activitiesduring the National Eisteddfod in Bala,particularly with partners in Maes C and a600-seater Stomp.– Organise a Welsh-language day school inAnglesey on literature and visual art.– Hold a Welsh-language day school inSwansea on the theme of Wales and Egypt.– Run an English-language conference onthe theme of New Narratives.– Organise a celebratory literary lunch fornew Academi members.– As part of its Beacon Company Awardprovision Academi will run five literary bustours under the banner Writers in theirLandscape. These will explore the workand landscapes of Waldo Williams, DicJones, Gillian Clarke, Lewis Jones, RolandMathias and Dafydd ap Gwilym.– Under its Beacon Company Award bannerAcademi will also expand proposals forincreasing cultural tourism by supportinga series of memorial plaques for authorsaround Wales. This programme (along withthe literary bus tours) is to be promoted bythe development of an interactive webbasedliterary map and gazetteer.– Continue to expand the number of WritingSquads with support from Beacon CompanyAward funding.– Seek to maintain provision of BeaconCompany Award supported projectsbeyond March 2010.– As part of its Gwynedd project Academiwill strengthen literary links with Pen Llyn,Blaenau Ffestiniog and Bala; in associationwith other departments at GwyneddCouncil develop literature in healthcarewith bibliotherapy and reading groupsprojects; link literature to popular festivalssuch as Gŵyl Gardd Goll, Gŵyl Traeth Colland Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau; and organise acounty Roald Dahl day.– With the assistance of the Rhys DaviesTrust, manage the 2009 Rhys Davies ShortStory Competition (Judges: Jon Gower,Stevie Davies & Niall Griffiths)– Provide literature components to a numberof Welsh festivals – Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau,Gŵyl Bedwen Lyfrau, Denbigh MidsummerFestival.