Galeri Caernarfon Cyf transform economic and artistic fortunes in Wales

A not-for-profit community enterprise, Galeri was set up in 1992 to pursue social, economic and environmental projects for the benefit of the community in Caernarfon, one of the most deprived areas in Wales (6th on the deprivation index). It began by taking on the challenging task of transforming and refurbishing some of Caernarfon’s biggest eyesores such as the renovation and reopening of Bar Llewelyn. To date it has renovated and refurbished over twenty neglected and vacant properties in the town, which are now occupied by tenants including the derelict 29, High Street which is home to the Lotti and Wren gifts shop.

However, the jewel in the project’s crown is the £7.5m Galeri Creative Enterprise Centre, which opened its doors at the town’s Victoria Dock on 7 March 2005 and is now home to a theatre, an art gallery and a bar, as well as meeting rooms, studios and businesses. Galeri Creative Enterprise Centre took 10 years to complete but when it opened was an instant success with the public and has marked a significant development for the arts and creative industries in North Wales. It now provides a beacon of enterprise and regeneration across this deprived part of North Wales.

In developing Galeri, the community was committed to ensuring that, unlike most theatres in small and deprived population centres, it would not become a dead space during the day or rely on public subsidies for its financial sustainability. Galeri has been designed to be in constant use and with built-in revenue generating elements from the start, in the form of work units for rent, a public bar and café, meeting rooms and studios for hire and a varied programme in the theatre.

This enterprising and innovative community approach to regeneration and the arts has meant that, in marked contract to most art centres, Galeri currently receives no revenue funding from the local authority. There are now 16 companies in Galeri’s workspaces, all of whom are employed in arts and creative industries, many of whom did not have a presence in the area at all before they were attracted to the Galeri.

Gwen Griffiths, Cambrensis Communications, one of Galeri’s resident companies, says:

“Taking a unit in Galeri has been a great business move for Cambrensis Communications. It has increased our profile in north Wales considerably, since the ‘goldfish bowl’ design of Galeri gives us a great opportunity to advertise our services to whoever happens to drop in, day or night. A year on from first moving into our unit we are about to recruit two new members of staff.”

The development of Galeri building as a Creative Enterprise Centre has meant increasing the staffing levels of the company from a total of three persons at the end of 2002 to 21 full time members of staff and five part time staff members in addition to a number of casual staff in 2006 (the full time equivalent of 41.5 members of staff). The range of new posts has included marketing, theatre programming, theatre management, business development and finance and arts development. As well as over 40 direct employment opportunities the enterprise spirit fostered by Galeri in Caenarfon has helped create around 80 additional jobs in the area, and the number is growing every year.

Galeri is now seeking to build on the experience and expertise within existing staff to offer a commercial project and property management service. The incredible numbers of people who have visited the centre so far have been a boost to the local economy and the centre is a source of great pride among many of the townspeople. The centre has offered a deprived community access to world-class creative facilities and an inspirational venue.

Galeri Caernarfon Cyf was the Welsh winner of the 2007 Enterprising Britain competition.

Sioned Rees, Director of Enterprise for the Department of Enterprise, Innovation and Networks at the Welsh Assembly Government and a judge for Wales’ Enterprising Britain 2007 competition, said:

“We had a number of strong and diverse entries across Wales for the Enterprising Britain 2007 Awards demonstrating the strength of communities in driving forward change and building on the entrepreneurial spirit of their citizens. Galeri stood out due to the strong vision from a social enterprise to attract substantial funding to develop a creative hub in the town of Caernarfon that combines promotion of the arts to the community and the provision of space for creative businesses to flourish.”