More than 50 creatives challenge Arts Council Wales over theatre funding

Nation.Cymru Staff

A group of Welsh creatives has raised concerns over financial support awarded to the Welsh National Theatre (WNT), calling on Arts Council of Wales (ACW) to clarify how and why funding decisions were made.

The WNT was established in January 2025, spearheaded by Welsh actor Michael Sheen, following the National Theatre Wales’ closure in late 2024 due to the loss of core funding from ACW.

On 15 April 2026, The Stage reported that a number of smaller theatre companies had questioned why the fledgling WNT receiving funding from the ACW’s Major Productions Fund.

According to an ACW press release, the fund “is designed to provide a significant opportunity to a small number of organisations with an established record of delivering exceptional theatre, dance and musical theatre.”

When Owain and Henry received £299,829 from the fund several creatives highlighted that, as the WNT’s second ever show, it did not satisfy the criteria of recipients requiring an “established record”.

In addition, an anonymous theatremaker told The Stage that because Owain and Henry had already entered production and tickets were on sale, it appeared to fall outside general eligibility rules excluding projects that had “already started”.

It has been reported that the WNT also received £200,000 in ‘Transition Support’ from ACW, earmarked for organisations whose funding has been cut.

Jannat Ahmed of Lucent Dreaming discussed in December 2025 that Sharon Gilburd had allegedly, while co-Chair of the Board at the National Theatre Wales, overseen a decision to return National Theatre Wales’ ‘Transition’ funding to ACW, which was later awarded to WNT where she held the position of Acting Chief Executive (now Chief Executive).

“ACW deviated from due process here, in accepting revoked funds and re-awarding them to an under-developed ‘National’ organisation, with ACW allegedly also going back on their word about actions they would take if affected parties were able to prove this conflict of interest had taken place,” Ahmed wrote.

In the aftermath of the Major Productions Fund decision, Richard Huw Morgan, co-director of a performance company, told The Stage: “This is the second time rules and regulations appear to have been made to fit the needs of the Welsh National Theatre company.

“A ‘name’ initially promising to spend their own money is in fact drawing money away from existing companies with significant track records that could have developed further with this support…

“We see a company with a one-year track record of […] one play, being awarded nearly £300,000 for companies with a ‘significant track record’.”

Other creatives also criticised the “cult of personality” surrounding Sheen. The aforementioned anonymous theatremaker added: “Rules are being bent and broken for Michael Sheen. At this time of limited funding, of being told to do more with less in Wales, it hurts.”

A spokesperson for ACW said at the time: “All three companies met the relevant criteria to be selected for this new fund including having strong, experienced creative teams and agreed partnerships in place…

“In order to allow companies to maximise marketing and other funding opportunities, it was also within the guidelines that productions already announced with tickets on sale prior to application would qualify – which for significant large-scale productions is normal practice within the industry.”

However, over 50 Welsh creatives, freelancers, and theatremakers have now signed a formal letter to ACW regarding their concerns about the “preferential treatment”, attributed in part to WNT’s “celebrity associations”

Signatories of the letter include the former National Theatre Wales, as well as CB4 Theatre, Porter’s Theatre, and Tin Shed Theatre.

The letter, shared with The Stage, reads: “It is […] worrying if it seems an organisation can benefit (perceivably in part due to its celebrity associations) from advantageous decision making and preferential treatment.

“This feels not only unethical, but deeply inequitable… As a sector we urgently require these issues to be addressed so that we can rebuild confidence in our flagship funding institute.”

The letter also addresses Gilburd being “materially involved” in both the National Theatre Wales and WNT, as well as the lack of clarity around the eligibility of projects already in production.

“… Large-scale productions already on sale shouldn’t require additional funding of hundreds of thousands of pounds,” the letter reads.

Dafydd Rhys, chief executive of ACW, said the letter was being reviewed and added the organisation was “confident that all due process was followed” when awarding both the transition and Major Productions funding.