The Wales Millennium Centre, a publicly funded arts venue and national theatre, has come under fire for allowing performers at a transgender performance of the Nutcracker, last Christmas, to distribute political leaflets to its audience. The leaflets urged attendees to contact their MPs and MSs to express opposition to the UK Conservative Government’s decision to ban puberty blockers for children and encouraged donations to activist organisations such as Mermaids and Gendered Intelligence.
The Welsh Conservatives have raised concerns over the politicisation of taxpayer-funded arts and culture programs and questioned whether the arts should serve as a platform for pushing specific political agendas, particularly when supported by public funding.
Commenting, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Gareth Davies MS, said:
“Taxpayer-funded institutions have a duty to remain impartial and inclusive, while the arts have an important role in sparking debate and raising awareness of social issues, allowing performers to hand out political propaganda risks alienating audiences and undermines the public’s trust in our cultural institutions.
“It’s deeply inappropriate for a publicly funded venue to allow political leaflets to be distributed during a performance, particularly as it calls for political action on a sensitive and divisive issue.
“The Wales Millenium Centre must ensure accountability in how these productions are managed and questions must be asked about the politicisation of cultural spaces under their watch. There need to be an urgent review processes to ensure publicly funded institutions are used responsibly and without pushing one-sided political views.”
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