Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre (LGAC) is a small incorporated charity, company limited by guarantee and registered charity, based in Cwmbran, Torfaen.
Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre (LGAC) opened in 1966. Over the last five decades the community it serves has grown considerably, now typically over 50,000 people visit the centre in Cwmbran each year. Audiences see our exhibitions at other venues across the UK, take part in outreach participatory projects and engage with us digitally. The diversity and quality of our exhibitions and learning programme make us a much valued and used resource for town, county, region and increasingly nationally and internationally.
LGAC is a member of the Arts Portfolio Wales, a key member of the Arts Council of Wales revenue funded organisations.
LGAC is governed by a Board of Trustees, while the day-to-day management, running and programming is delegated to the Centre Director and team of dedicated staff.
Advance the understanding and education of the visual arts to benefit the lives of our communities.
To present the best work being made in Wales and bring to Wales, some of the most important and interesting work being produced nationally and internationally. To deliver a programme of education / participation / engagement activities that is relevant to the lives of our communities.
Our Trustees and our staff are united in the belief that participation, engagement and education lie at the heart of the Arts Centre. This ethos is expressed through all our work. We provide opportunities for people of all ages to become engaged in their contemporary cultural heritage. This is illustrated by the presentation of an exhibitions programme that provides our audience with an opportunity to access creative work of the highest quality. Additionally, through providing a rich and lively learning resource that is inclusive and that offers different ways of learning to give everyone an opportunity to become actively engaged.
It is this ethos that provides the artistic vision that drives the organisation forward.
We will continue to build on our successes, and through strengthening our relationship and working in partnership with makers, artists and organisations we will continue to demonstrate our significance as a regional cultural asset.
We aim to achieve our Mission and Vision through continuing to develop our audience delivering the following seven goals:
1. Deliver an exhibition programme of quality and excellence giving our current and future audiences the opportunity to engage with work produced in Wales and to bring to Wales some of the most important work being produced nationally and internationally.
2. Reach out to our communities & deliver a learning programme that will:
− Deliver the national strategic project Criw Celf in the SE Region
− Provide opportunities for people of all ages to engage in cultural activities
− Provide a rich and lively learning resource that strives to have an inclusive approach giving our communities the opportunity to become actively engaged with their visual and cultural heritage
3. Further the debates of contemporary practice raise the visibility of makers and artists by touring exhibitions and engaging in collaborative projects with other galleries and venues
4. Provide a platform for our audiences to develop an understanding and appreciation of the debates relating to contemporary practice
5. Provide opportunities for artists and makers living and working in Wales to develop a career through their creative practice
6. Provide opportunities for artist/makers groups, community/voluntary organisations and other bodies to use the resources of the centre to act as a hub and focus for wider cultural and heritage activity
7. Reinforce our position as a valued and needed resource within the communities of Town, County, Region and Nationally
These future plans will be underpinned by ensuring that we have sound governance and operate within a sustainable financial model.
Culture does not exist in isolation, LGAC operates within a network of cultural and heritage venues, museums and visitor attractions within Torfaen County Borough, Wales and beyond.
The past five years have been challenging with local authority budget squeezes, Arts Council of Wales budget reductions and increasing costs. Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre has navigated its way through this period. However, we do not underestimate the challenges ahead both in the short term and further ahead. Continued pressure to local government funding and pressures on the Arts Council of Wales together with the unknown implications of Brexit make for a very challenging future.
Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre is part of the Arts Portfolio Wales. A body of organisations that receive core Art Council of Wales funding. We also hold a Service Level Agreement with Torfaen County Borough Council. These two organisations are our biggest funders of unrestricted core grants.
In 2016/17 our total income was £219,409; we received £82,380 from the Arts Council of Wales and £26,125 from local government a total of £108,508 in unrestricted core funding, plus a further £10,056 in restricted grant income for specific projects a total of £118,564.
The balance of £99,234 is sourced through generating earned income and donations.
|
Exhibition Sales |
£8,333 |
|
Education Fees |
£17,743 |
|
Craftshop Sales |
£23,870 |
|
Café Sales |
£43,809 |
|
Room Hire / Rental |
£5,479 |
|
Total |
£99,234 |
|
Government funding |
54% |
|
Self Generated |
46% |
We feel that this balance is about right with approx 50% of our expenditure generated by the organisation. There is not an over dependence on support.