Arts Connection is a non-profit making company limited by guarantee. The company is managed by a voluntary Board of Directors and employs a part-time Arts Director, full-time Project Officer and part-time administrator. Documentation relating to our legal constitution and policies is available for inspection at our office.

Have a good look around our site. Tell us what you think. Contact us if you think we can assist you with development of a project or as an artist.

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Aims

• to provide community arts activities
• to promote and provide access to funds, arts materials, venues and opportunities to develop arts projects
• to assess innovative projects within the region and which could harness local talent for the cultural economic benefit of the area
• to develop necessary arts and business contacts within a national, European and international dimension
• to provide regular bulletins
• to provide notice of relevant job opportunities to members
• to provide a professional body for people working creatively in the visual and performing arts and crafts
• to overcome rural isolation
• to support individuals and communities in generating income for arts activities
• to support the training and development of artists

• to provide opportunities for access to the arts for individuals and groups living and working in isolated rural communities
• to provide and promote an advice and consultancy service to other arts organisations
• to expand and develop arts projects to all members of the community
• to increase arts and business connections to promote more arts activity
• to co-ordinate a strategy for an arts centre development
• to develop an enhanced rolling programme of funding initiatives and support

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Formed in March 1994 as a non-profit making cooperative by a group of 5 artists in mid-Wales, we grew and moved into the Youth & Community Centre in 1995. A part-time co-ordinator & new management board were appointed in 1997 & various community arts projects initiated. In 1998, we were awarded £147,000 over 3 years from the Arts Council of Wales "Arts for All" lottery fund to develop exciting projects around North Powys. Match funding worth more than £20,000 was also raised during this year.

Arts Connection has been a revenue client of the Arts Council of Wales since  2002, who have offered immense support and advice during our development. Partnerships have formed with many organisations including Powys County Council, Montgomeryshire Youth Theatre, Powys Youth Service, Mencap, Severn Trent Water, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association (Oldford Estate, Welshpool) and other community arts groups in Powys.

Arts Connection and Severn Trent were awarded the first ever Arts & Business Cymru "Best Sponsorship of New Work" prize for their Sculpture Trail project at Lake Vyrnwy. September 2000 saw a presentation of "Reminiscences", a project linking young and older people , at the millennium dome. In the Arts Council of Wales annual report 2003 Arts Connection was reported as having undertaken outstanding community arts work and being an excellent role model for community arts practice.

‘In 2004 Arts Connection celebrated its 10th Anniversary, with a celebratory event that was attended by Lemibit Opik, Arts Connection members, Town councillors and many more.’

The Arts Council of Wales has invested in Arts Connection since 2005 through the Sustainability project. This support led to Arts Connection being able to acquire a video editing suite which is used to full capacity on a number of arts projects.

WEFO (Welsh European Funding Office) funding was received between 2005-2007. This allowed for a number of new and exciting things to happen within the organisation. It gave Arts Connection the capacity to employ another member of a staff, a project officer, which allowed the organisation to carry out more activity and arts projects in 2005-2006. One project that was the result of the extra funding received from WEFO was a trip to the Senedd where children from 9 primary schools sang.

Every year we provide more than 4000 participation places in quality arts activities across North Powys. We are now working towards developing existing and new projects, furthering our work with partner organisations, creating sustainable funding sources and raising awareness of our membership services in North Powys.

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Currently, Arts Connection receives revenue funding for running costs from the Arts Council of Wales. In previous years we have also made successful bids for Lottery funding for project costs. Each year we find partnership funding for revenue and project costs from a number of sources which have recently included Powys County Council (Revenue Grant), Powys County Council Music Department, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, PAVO (Spirit grant), the Millennium Stadium Commission, Powys Youth Service and the Clore Duffield Foundation.

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