2021 is officially in the rearview mirror, and as we embark on 2022 we’re delighted to wish all of our readers a happy new year! As we know, 2021 was another challenging year of pandemic, lockdowns and uncertainty, but it was also a year of optimism with a return to live for the arts in Wales, and we hope that in 2022 the arts and cultural scene can continue to build on the foundation laid over the last twelve months.
The start of a new year provides the perfect opportunity to take stock, with a look back at past achievements and an eye on the future ambitions of the Review. Over the Christmas period, Wales Arts Review has highlighted some of our top writing, as well as our best reviews and articles. We continue to be read all around the world, and also continue in our mission to bring our readers the best critical writing from Wales, and the best critical writing about Wales.
2021 saw us host and run a number of series, including a look at the Arts and the Circular Economy; academic insights on the films of Richard Burton in our Becoming Richard Burton series; in March, some of Wales’ top writers reflected on The Art of Boredom during the early lockdown of 2021; in April, we ran statements from each of the leaders of the main political parties in our 2021 Senedd Elections Arts and Culture Spotlight Series; and of course, in the lead up to the end of 2021 we ran our ten week countdown of the 100 Greatest Welsh Albums of All Time.
2021 is also the year we officially launched our Patreon page, and as we are now in 2022 we’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to every person who has dedicated £3 a month to help us continue to do what we know and love. Your support is helping to ensure that our future is bright, free and sustainable – contributing to our mission to pay writers better and more regularly.
We have lots more in store for 2022, and for any readers who’d like to help us to survive, thrive and grow over the next twelve months – you can become a Wales Arts Review patron by following the link here. Thank you, and – once again – a happy new year!
