The Wales Association for the Performing Arts (WAPA) is the umbrella body for the professional performing arts organisations in Wales, representing theatre, opera and dance.
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WAPA's main role is to promote the professional performing arts by raising the profile of the sector in as many ways as possible. This includes holding general meetings with high calibre speakers, arranging seminars on specific subjects, producing briefing papers on important policy issues and contributing to consultations from national, regional and sector specific sources. This has become crucial following the establishment of the National Assembly and the Association has been actively briefing politicians since the Assembly's work began. WAPA has regular face to face meetings with the Arts Council of Wales and has become nationally recognised as the voice of the performing arts in Wales.
WAPA's success in representing the professional arts in Wales was recognised at the 2002 Barclays Theatre Awards at the Royal Court in London where the Association picked up the Stage Newspaper Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Regional Theatre.
WAPA has also become a significant training provider and arranges courses to meet the needs of the membership including: Health and Safety, First Aid, Finance, Stress Management.
The Association was formed in 1982. Prior to that an organisation existed called the Standing Conference of Welsh Arts Centres and Companies. This was primarily a talking shop and it was felt that a different, more purposeful, group was needed. WAPA therefore came into being with a specific aim of campaigning and lobbying on behalf of its members who include almost all the professional producing companies in Wales.The Association is run by a voluntary Executive committee of eight, elected from the membership, every two years. The Current Executive members have specific areas of responsibility and are:
CHRIS RYDE (Equity)
Chair
GILLIAN DALE (Community
Dance Wales)
MAI JONES (Sgript Cymru) Chair, Welsh
Language Sub Committee
SANDRA JONES: (Spectacle
Theatre)
JANET HUXTABLE (Theatr Na'Nog) Treasurer
JANEK ALEXANDER (Chapter Arts Centre)
VAL HILL: (Hijinx
Theatre)
MARGARET JONES: (Sherman Theatre)
The only permanent Committee is the Welsh Language Sub Committee. The current Chair is Mai Jones. All other working parties or Sub Committees are ad hoc.
Membership is open to anyone with a professional interest in the performing arts in Wales both individuals and organisations. Members benefit from a range of services including:
Subscriptions run from April to April and current rates are a follows:
| Individual membership |
£15.00 |
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| Organisations with turnover UNDER £50,000 |
£ 30.00 |
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| Organisations with turnover BETWEEN £50,000 and £75,000 |
£ 65.00 |
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| Organisations with turnover BETWEEN £75,000 and £100,000 |
£130.00 |
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| Organisations with turnover OVER £100,000 |
£210.00 |
A profile of the current membership can be found here.
WAPA News
Please click the news button to find out about current issues, campaigns, events, forthcoming meetings, training opportunities etc. This section will be updated regularly.
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Information about WAPA courses and events and the productions and tours of WAPA members can be accessed in the CALENDAR section of the WAPA site.
WAPA can be contacted as follows:
By post at PO BOX 443 Cardiff CF11 9YT
By e-mail at waparts@hotmail.com
Chris Ryde (Chair) O2920 397971, or email: cryde@cardiff-equity.org.uk
Patti Wallis (Administrator) email: patti.wallis@ntlworld.com
