Future of Welsh venues safeguarded with huge financial boost

David Owens

From historic theatres and modern arts centres to art galleries and creative spaces, Wales has cultural venues that are enjoyed by many.

Now, the Arts Council of Wales has revealed a round of funding that will help to preserve and enhance some of the most well known venues and spaces across the nation for future generations to enjoy.

The council announced a total of 17 arts organisations will benefit from an additional £2m in capital funding; the second phase of capital investment announced by the Arts Council of Wales in this financial year, following an open callout for applications in June and initial investment of £8m last September.

A full list of the 40 organisations that received investment in phase one is available HERE

One of the major projects being supported with an additional investment of £678K is the redevelopment of the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, which also received £1.5 million in September 2025. The redevelopment will preserve and enhance the well-known cultural venue for future generations, with the addition of a studio theatre and art gallery offering increased opportunities for audiences and artists. Work is also underway to make the venue more accessible and environmentally efficient.

The Elysium Gallery in Swansea receives over £227K to continue phase two of the redevelopment of the former JT Morgan department store into an exciting space for artists. This funding will allow the organisation to move forward with decorating the ground and basement floors, placing good quality flooring in ground floor public spaces and installing the lighting required to create a versatile exhibition space for the artists and the local community.

Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea will also receive £53K towards upgrading their sound and lighting equipment, whilst Oriel Myrddin in Carmarthen receives almost £30K to enhance engagement in their new education spaces.

Over at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, £162K has been awarded towards the purchase of technical equipment across performance spaces to maintain the performance programme.

In north Wales, Tŷ Pawb in Wrexham receives almost £100K towards digital and PA equipment, building modifications which will improve energy efficiency and reduce bills, and the retrofitting of a market stall to make it suitable for use as a food trading unit, enhancing the venue’s food offer and food hall capacity.

Pontio Arts Centre in Bangor also receives almost £97K for developments in the cinema and a project to improve the entrance foyer and box office area, with a focus on access and visitor experience.

Llenyddiaeth Cymru | Literature Wales has been awarded an additional £32K to continue the redevelopment work at Tŷ Newydd, the national writing centre of Wales in Gwynedd.

Tabernacl (Bethesda) Cyf receives an additional £10K towards the redevelopment of artist accommodation at Y Fic adjacent to Neuadd Ogwen, reducing unnecessary travel costs and inconvenience. Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw in Gwynedd has been awarded £60K as they begin the planning stage of the redevelopment of the Plas Bach building into a multi-purpose art space and for essential repairs to the Grade 2* listed building’s roof.

Cardiff-based CULTVR Lab receives almost £200K for audio-visual and arts venue infrastructure upgrades to support the fast-paced development of immersive arts in Wales, and Chapter in Canton, Cardiff receives £78K towards essential infrastructure and equipment upgrades, including replacing a significant number of windows in this former Edwardian school.

Porters bar and performance venue receives £25K to drive access improvements in their basement space, whilst the Sherman Theatre will receive £147K towards the replacement of the wireless communication system in the Main House and Studio, replacement of the Studio PA system, essential upgrade of ageing workshop equipment and the completion of a building-wide lighting upgrade, phase one of which was funded by the Theatres Trust.

Wales Millennium Centre receives £108K to invest in a new front-end website for digital resilience and financial sustainability. It will future proof its digital infrastructure aligning with compliance, governance and sustainability best practice and will provide a robust, responsive digital presence to support the organisation’s cultural and commercial goals.

Vision Fountain, a community interest company specialising in immersive storytelling, will receive £11K for replacement virtual reality headsets, the replacement of ageing computer hardware and for digital storage, enabling them to continue to empower harder to reach communities and deliver art and cultural multi-media projects at remote and varied locations across Wales.

In Newport, the Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre receives £48K for upgrades including acquiring a new Main House Sound Desk, a new Main House projector screen, new Radio Mics, new digital ticket scanners, and new studio theatre furniture.

Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive of Arts Council of Wales, said: “This additional funding is bringing practical benefits to arts organisations, whether in terms of building upgrades, replacement of dated technical equipment or investment in new technology. From major redevelopments like the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl to essential equipment upgrades in venues across north and south Wales, the funding is a step towards ensuring that our much‑loved cultural spaces remain vibrant, resilient and fit for the future.”