Where Wales Stands: What the 2026 Senedd Manifestos Say About Arts, Culture & Creativity

As Wales approaches the 2026 Senedd election, the cultural landscape—our arts, heritage, creative industries and the future of the Welsh language—sits at a crossroads. Each political party recognises culture as a defining part of Welsh life, but their manifestos reveal sharply different priorities and philosophies. Some frame culture as a public good, others as an economic engine, others as a matter of governance and neutrality. This article brings together a factual, comparison of what the six major parties say about culture in their 2026 manifestos, based on publicly available documents and reputable summaries.

Please Note: You should always read each Manifesto Yourself to ensure the Accuracy of the Data you Consume, as, although all Broadcasters and Journalists should ensure Political non-bias; unconscious bias’ can sometimes be present and can skew a narrative. We actively encourage all our Readers to do undertake their Own Research and not act solely upon isolated pockets of information.

The Senedd Public Gallery - Image Courtesy of Senedd Wales

Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru’s manifesto places culture, heritage and the Welsh language at the centre of its national vision, with a dedicated chapter covering these areas in detail. The party frames culture as a public good that strengthens national identity, supports Cymraeg and contributes to wellbeing. Plaid’s approach is holistic, integrating arts, heritage, sport and language into a single strategic space. The manifesto emphasises community‑based cultural activity and positions cultural participation as essential to both social cohesion and national development. While specific funding commitments sit within the full culture chapter, the overarching direction is expansionist, aiming to grow cultural access and strengthen Welsh‑language cultural expression.

Key Points

• Dedicated Culture, Sport and Welsh Language chapter

• Culture and heritage positioned as tools to support Cymraeg

• Culture framed as central to national identity

• Cultural participation linked to wellbeing

• Culture treated as a public good

• Integrated approach across arts, heritage, sport and language

• Support for community‑based cultural activity

• Expansionist stance on cultural participation

• Emphasis on strengthening Welsh‑language cultural expression

• Detailed commitments located in the culture chapter

Full manifesto:‍ ‍https://www.partyof.wales/manifesto

Welsh Labour

Welsh Labour’s manifesto includes two dedicated chapters—one on Culture and one on Cymraeg—indicating a structured and deliberate approach to cultural policy. Labour identifies the creative industries as one of the major opportunity sectors in its forthcoming Industrial Strategy for Wales, positioning culture as part of economic growth as well as public value. The party’s cultural commitments sit within a wider agenda of fairness, access and institutional support, with museums, arts councils and national bodies playing a central role. Labour’s approach to the Welsh language is similarly structured, with a full chapter outlining its plans. Detailed arts and heritage measures are contained within the Culture chapter of the full manifesto.

Key Points

• Two dedicated chapters: Culture and Cymraeg

• Creative industries identified as a major opportunity sector

• Cultural policy aligned with fairness and access

• Strong role for public institutions

• Structured approach to Welsh‑language growth

• Culture integrated with education and community development

• Continuity with existing cultural infrastructure

• Creative industries framed as part of economic growth

• Culture treated as a defined policy area

• Specific arts measures located in the Culture chapter

Full manifesto:‍ ‍https://www.welshlabour.wales/manifesto

Welsh Liberal Democrats

The Welsh Liberal Democrats dedicate a full chapter to “Welsh Language, Culture and Sport,” signalling a clear policy focus on cultural life. Their proposed Welsh Industrial Strategy identifies the creative industries as one of Wales’ core industrial strengths, linking culture to innovation and economic diversification. The party places strong emphasis on Welsh‑medium education and bilingual outcomes, arguing that cultural participation begins with linguistic access. Commitments such as travel‑time guarantees for Welsh‑medium schooling and investment in bilingual resources shape the long‑term landscape for Welsh‑language arts and media. The manifesto frames culture as part of a modern, outward‑looking Wales, with detailed commitments located in the culture chapter.

Key Points

• Dedicated chapter: Welsh Language, Culture and Sport

• Creative industries listed as a core industrial strength

• Culture linked to language, education and identity

• Commitment to bilingual outcomes for all school leavers

• Travel‑time guarantees for Welsh‑medium education

• Emphasis on bilingual resources supporting Welsh‑language arts

• Culture framed as part of a modern Wales

• Creative industries tied to innovation

• Support for widening cultural access

• Detailed cultural commitments in the chapter

Full manifesto:‍ ‍https://www.welshlibdems.wales/manifesto

Reform UK Wales

Reform UK’s cultural stance is distinct from the other parties, focusing primarily on governance, neutrality and historical interpretation rather than arts development or creative‑sector growth. The manifesto pledges to “end political indoctrination in heritage” and to “restore evidence‑led history,” requiring publicly funded museums and heritage bodies to present history chronologically and in context. Reform proposes reviewing cultural funding to ensure political neutrality and argues that Welsh cultural institutions should reflect the full breadth of Welsh history. The party supports modernisation of museums and pledges to ring‑fence cultural spending, but does not outline a creative industries strategy or expansionist Welsh‑language cultural agenda.

Key Points

• Focus on governance and neutrality in heritage

• Pledges to “end political indoctrination in heritage”

• Commitment to “restore evidence‑led history”

• Requires chronological, contextual presentation of history

• Proposes reviewing cultural funding for neutrality

• Institutions should reflect full breadth of Welsh history

• Supports modernisation of museums

• Pledges to ring‑fence cultural spending

• No creative industries strategy identified

• No expansionist Welsh‑language cultural agenda

Full manifesto:‍ ‍https://www.reformparty.uk/welsh-manifesto-english.pdf

Green Party of Wales

The Green Party of Wales frames culture as a public good essential to wellbeing, community resilience and social cohesion. Their manifesto commits to expanding and protecting Welsh‑language arts, media and cultural expression as part of a broader linguistic‑rights agenda. The Greens emphasise community‑led cultural projects, fair pay for creative workers and widening access to arts and culture regardless of income or geography. They encourage cultural organisations to adopt environmentally sustainable practices and support the protection of heritage sites through community stewardship. Creative industries are included within a wider vision of a sustainable, future‑focused Welsh economy.

Key Points

• Culture framed as a public good

• Strong support for Welsh‑language arts and media

• Investment in community‑led cultural projects

• Support for fair pay for creative workers

• Commitment to widening cultural access

• Encourages sustainable practices in cultural organisations

• Supports protection of heritage sites

• Backs investment in public cultural institutions

• Links culture to wellbeing and resilience

• Creative industries included in a green economic vision

Full manifesto:‍ ‍https://wales.greenparty.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2026/04/Senedd-Manifesto-2026-EN2.pdf

Welsh Conservatives

The Welsh Conservatives’ manifesto contains no dedicated chapter on arts, culture or heritage, and does not outline a creative industries strategy. Cultural policy appears primarily through the lens of education, with proposals for specialist schools in areas including the arts, and commitments to widen community access to school facilities such as performance spaces. The party frames Welsh‑medium education as a matter of parental choice rather than cultural development. No new arts funding commitments or heritage policies are identified in the manifesto, and there are no references to national cultural bodies such as Cadw, Creative Wales or Amgueddfa Cymru in available summaries. As a result, the cultural footprint of the manifesto is minimal.

Key Points

• No dedicated arts, culture or heritage chapter

• No creative industries strategy identified

• Support for specialist schools in the arts

• Commitment to community access to school arts facilities

• Welsh‑medium education framed as parental choice

• No new arts funding commitments identified

• No specific Welsh‑language cultural commitments

• No references to national cultural bodies

• Cultural policy footprint is minimal

• Cultural positioning primarily education‑adjacent

Full manifesto:‍ ‍https://www.conservatives.wales/sites/www.conservatives.wales/files/2026-03/Welsh%20Conservatives%20Manifesto%202026%20EN_0.pdf

Conclusion

Across the six parties, Wales’ cultural future is framed in markedly different ways. Plaid Cymru and the Green Party emphasise culture as a public good tied to wellbeing and identity. Welsh Labour and the Welsh Liberal Democrats integrate culture with economic strategy, particularly through the creative industries. Reform UK Wales focuses on heritage governance and neutrality, while the Welsh Conservatives present minimal cultural policy beyond education‑adjacent measures.

Please Note: This Information is a Snapshot Summary and should be treated as such. For Suggestions or Amendment Queries; Please Get in Touch