Will the Minister outline what criteria the Welsh Government uses when deciding whether to award sponsorship to Welsh festivals such as the Hay Festival or other similar festivals?
In 2020-21, Visit Wales entered into a two-year sponsorship agreement with the Hay Festival and the Arts Council of Wales funded three Hay Festival projects. The festival also qualified for Economic Resilience Fund support.
The Welsh Government recognises the importance of promoting Welsh culture and talent and reflects this through its Cymru Wales marketing programmes, conveying the important role that festivals play in reflecting our country’s diverse culture.
Welsh Government sponsorship decisions are based on a number of factors. Specifically, for Cymru Wales brand sponsorship, festivals and events must demonstrate how the investment would add value to the Cymru Wales brand objectives to showcase Wales’ diverse culture to the world. This could include measures such as the strength of a festival’s links and the level of profile in the UK and international markets and the number of visitors the event attracts from outside Wales. A further consideration would include the quality of opportunity offered to access high-profile artists and performers to collaborate on content, as well as joint PR and marketing programmes to raise Wales’ profile and generate additional tourism.
Consideration is also given to value for money to ensure that any Cymru Wales brand sponsorship demonstrates a clear return on investment and is competitive compared to other sponsors.