A heritage and arts summit held in Caerphilly Castle saw Welsh heritage minister, Alun Ffred Jones, join key players in the heritage, arts and tourism sectors to discuss practical action to celebrate Welsh heritage, offer new creative opportunities and provide authentic tourism products for visitors to Wales.
Everyone present recognised the need for regular exchanges of information and plans for the future, with representatives from Visit Wales, Cadw and the Arts Council of Wales agreeing to establish regular discussion meetings.
Participants also recognised, however, that the sectors needed to plan together well in advance to build exciting projects and promote them effectively.
Speakers at the event included Joanna Marschner from Historic Royal Palaces, who presented findings from the 'Enchanted Palace' arts installation initiatives at Kensington Palace alongside Sue Hill from arts company Wildworks; Ross Ashton, responsible for the Illuminata 2010 light and sound spectacular which ran during the Ryder Cup at Caerphilly Castle, and Clare Williams, who directs Cadw's Cauldrons and Furnaces project.
Following the event, Jones said, "There has never been a time when collaboration and mutual support has been so needed in these sectors, but we also still need to have ambition for what we can achieve together and a passion for our cause. I am pleased the summit was a success."
Marilyn Lewis, director of Cadw, added: "We will certainly be working closely with creative professionals and our tourism partners to create more events and pieces which excite and inspire our visitors and bring history truly alive."
Nick Capaldi, chief executive officer of the Arts Council of Wales, said: "Many of the great art works of the world have been created for historic buildings and places. Perhaps the difference now is that we are seeking a more equal partnership between the custodians of heritage, the artists and local communities."
Cauldrons and Furnaces, one element of the overarching Power of the Flame programme, is a partnership between Cadw, the Welsh Assembly Government's historic environment service and the Arts Council of Wales with funding from Legacy Trust UK in partnership with Cadw.
The eight Cadw sites playing their part include Caerphilly Castle, where the summit was located.
Image: A 'flashmobbing' event held at Laugharne Castle in support of the Cauldrons and Furnaces project as part of the Cultural Olympiad
