Theatr Mwldan won't be contributing to summer events at Cardigan Castle, taking a "fallow year" due to "a perfect storm of funding cuts, loss of income and increasing costs".

Welsh Government recently announced a 10.5 per cent cut in its funding to Arts Council of Wales, and Ceredigion County Council has recently announced a 100 per cent cut of its funding support to Mwldan, effective in its budget for 2024/25.

Mwldan’s Arts Council settlement for the 2024/25 financial year is a 3.6 per cent cut on its current funding level.

Dilwyn Davies, CEO at Theatr Mwldan said: “Like many arts and events venues and festivals up and down the country, we at Mwldan are continuing to navigate a post-pandemic perfect storm of funding cuts, loss of income and increasing costs. Though manageable and not yet critical, these circumstances are the worst we have experienced over the past 30 years.

“Following the recent Investment Review by the Arts Council of Wales, we are pleased to say that we have been offered a new multi-year funding agreement; however the financial offer is at a much lower level than we requested.

“Given these circumstances, we have decided that our immediate priority must be to ensure the longer-term security of Mwldan as a company, and to focus on addressing a stable financial path forwards as we deal with these unprecedented circumstances.

“Therefore, with regret, we have decided to take a fallow year in 2024 on our involvement with our usual summer season of music events at Cardigan Castle, which we usually co-produce with our friends at the castle.

“These events are produced on a completely commercial basis, and require significant resource, risk and investment to realise. In the current climate, this is a risk we do not feel we can take in 2024.”

Cardigan Castle will be staging its own smaller-scale events over the summer, with the programme of events expected to be released on May 1.

The Illyria outdoor theatre events will continue as planned in partnership with the castle, and Other Voices Cardigan will also go ahead as planned 31st October 31-November 2.

"We realise this will be disappointing for many as these events have become a regular fixture in the Cardigan calendar, but we are fully committed to bring these events back in 2025," Theatr Mwldan added