Wales' arts in transition, 1997-2001 : a discourse analysis

During the period 1997-2001, much of the government of Wales devolved to a National Assembly for Wales. As the local political landscape changed, interest groups struggled to position themselves within it. Some sought to define a nation of Wales by reference to the Welsh language and the arts associated with it; others suggested that a distinctive national brand image should be developed. Both positions present challenges to the development of Wales as a modern civic nation. They are interrogated in an analysis of discourses of cultural difference in Wales and their influence upon contemporary cultural policy and practice there.;Wales' arts were also affected by developments in global media during the period in question. The Internet was emerging as a digital channel for promoting and distributing cultural goods to global markets; it had also been conceptualised as a space for sharing (and imagining) cultural beliefs and traditions. In both modes, it offered entrepreneurial opportunities for cultural producers. Two case studies of electronic cultural enterprise are presented. The subjects of both are Wales-based artists who took early advantage of the marketing potential of the Internet to give a platform to minority-interest music. Their experiences suggest that global electronic cultural commerce has a fragmenting effect. There is a greater variety in what is produced; the conditions of its production and consumption encourage either exclusive cliques or, where there are no cliques, insecure and mistrustful relationships among producers.;On the basis of the thesis' findings, an alternative approach to political support for cultural practice in Wales is outlined.