If cuts to arts industry funding continue, “there will be no professional sector in 10 years”, the chief executive of Arts Council Wales has warned.

Dafydd Rhys is calling for statutory funding for the sector from the Welsh Government.

It comes as the council publishes a report on the economic impact of the arts in Wales, which reveals that for every pound spent there is a return of £2.51.

The Welsh Government said it was “determined” that current financial difficulties would not restrict its “long-term ambitions for the sector”.

Arts Council Wales has received a 40% cut to its funding in real terms since 2010 and Mr Rhys says he is very concerned that the sector will not exist in a decade.

He also warned that the arts risk becoming elitist if they are not properly funded.

“I doubt much of this resource will be available in 10 years, except that it might be in the hands of very, very wealthy benefactors and it will not be available to everyone at an affordable price,” he added.

The report was published, Mr Rhys said, “as an advocacy tool” to fight for the sector and its funding.

In December, the Welsh Government will publish its draft budget.

“The turnover of the creative and cultural sector and industries is around £1.6 billion,” Mr Rhys added.

“Employment is in the order of 40,000 people, which is similar to things like insurance or the financial sector, it’s similar to telecommunications.

“This is a serious professional sector and it needs to be supported because it cannot continue as it has been.”

Mr Rhys also believes the arts should have statutory funding status from the Welsh Government.

“Because the arts are not a legal responsibility, it is a place where local authorities can look to make savings,” he said.

“I think the Welsh Government should consider ring-fencing this funding.

“This places a responsibility on local authorities because they cannot go there as a first point of entry to do the cutting.”

In June, a study commissioned by performing arts union Equity found that in real terms overall funding for the arts in Wales had fallen by 30% since 2017.

This compares to a fall of 11% in England, 16% in Northern Ireland and an increase of 2% in Scotland.

In May, an open letter was signed by 175 artists, including Sir Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins, Michael Sheen and Ruth Jones, calling for emergency funding for the Welsh National Opera, after it received a cut of 35% of Arts Council England funding and 11.8% of Arts funding. Wales Council.

Elizabeth Atherton, an opera singer, said she had “no confidence” that the Welsh or British governments were taking the issue seriously enough and said morale within the sector was “at most all-time low.”

“As careers collapse and organizations struggle to stay afloat, artists are increasingly being forced to leave the industry altogether, and arts organizations are decreasing their output as they fight for survival,” she declared.

“Without serious investment from the government, we will soon have nothing left for future generations. »

Yvette Vaughan Jones, chair of Welsh National Opera, said “continued budget cuts to the arts sector are a major concern”.

“Further budget cuts represent not only a risk to the artistic quality and talent development of our artists and artistic workforce, but also a real risk to cross-sector work, particularly in the areas of health and education, which have a huge impact,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the Creu Cymru performing arts network welcomed the report and agreed that the 40% reduction in funding since 2010 must be “urgently corrected”.

She said urgent action was needed to prevent closures and the “downward spiral that will cause the arts to lose their impact”.

The spokeswoman added that the challenges facing the sector are affecting its ability to stay open, retain staff and produce new work.

“Even a small increase in arts funding could have a major impact, creating over a thousand new jobs across Wales,” she said.

The Welsh Government said the arts sector makes “a vital social, cultural and economic contribution to our society, enriching communities and inspiring future generations”.

He added that current financial challenges should not restrict his long-term ambitions for the sector.

The Welsh Government recently provided £1.5 million in additional funding to the arts sector through Arts Council Wales to help protect jobs.

He will announce longer-term spending decisions in his proposed budget in the coming weeks.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We are determined to ensure arts and culture are no longer the preserve of a privileged few and are thinking carefully about how we fund arts organizations across the country to unlock more creative opportunities. »