Welsh Language Scheme Welsh Language Scheme Outline approval by WNO Board: June 2014 Public and stakeholder consultation: October / November 2014 Approval by Welsh Language Commissioner: tbc Final approval by WNO Board: tbc
1. Introduction 1.1 Welsh language scheme Welsh National Opera is proud to be the national opera company of Wales. It recognises that the culture of Wales is rooted in and reflected through two languages and is pledged to respect both. It is also conscious that the Company has been able to draw on the rich choral and musical tradition that is associated with the Welsh language and its communities. In recent years, WNO has improved the way in which it engages with the Welsh language. All material associated with performances and events taking place only in Wales are now produced bilingually, most of the website content is available bilingually, and surtitles in Welsh and English feature in all our mainscale performances in Wales. We have increased the amount of Welsh language content in our production programmes, which serve audiences in England as well as Wales. However, we recognise there is a long way to go and we will use this revised Scheme to map the course towards further improvements. The Company is committed to respond positively both to public policy in relation to the recognition and use of the Welsh language and to the needs of its Welsh-speaking customers. The Scheme set out in this document is also designed to fulfil the Arts Council of Wales s requirements of its national companies in this regard. WNO has updated its Welsh language scheme, with assistance from the Welsh Language Commissioner. This Scheme reflects the following guiding principles: WNO is the national opera company of Wales; the Company respects both languages of Wales; WNO will endeavour to give an appropriate place to each language in all its activities, demonstrating its pride that Wales is a bilingual country; WNO will try to reflect the needs of different audiences in terms of its use of the Welsh language; WNO will encourage and provide staff with opportunities to learn the Welsh language, to use it in the workplace and while promoting the work of the Company. 1.2 Statement Welsh National Opera has adopted the principle that in the conduct of its business in Wales it will treat the English and Welsh languages on the basis of equality so far as is both appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably practical. This scheme will not be amended without prior consultation with the Welsh Language Commissioner. Much of Welsh National Opera's funding is from public sources. Therefore we have a duty to make bilingual provision for the public in accordance with our funding guidelines. More importantly, Welsh National Opera believes that offering services to reflect the fact that we receive Welsh and English funding is good practice. This Scheme outlines how Welsh National Opera will achieve this in the provision of services to the public in Wales. 2
Welsh National Opera will promote the use of the Welsh language through its activities and services and we will encourage Welsh speakers who deal with us to use more Welsh in their interaction with us. We will seek to develop services which focus on the individual where that individual feels comfortable using English or Welsh at all times. 1.3 Governance & management Welsh National Opera (WNO) is a Company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It has a Board of non-executive directors who are trustees of the charity. Currently there are 13 directors on the Board, with a range of skills and experience necessary for the effective governance of the Company, including Welsh language skills. The Board meets at least four times a year, supplemented by sub-committee meetings. The Chief Executive & Artistic Director and Managing Director are responsible for the management of the Company. They are supported by a senior management team. The Company s income is derived from a variety of sources, including public funding from the Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council England, ticket sales and sponsorship and donations. WNO s Board and management team are committed to achieving the dual ambitions of being internationally recognised whilst being strongly connected to Wales and its culture and traditions. WNO recognises that treating both Welsh and English with equal respect will assist it in achieving these aims. In order to deliver its services and activities successfully and meet its responsibilities to its audiences, WNO is committed to promoting the Welsh language by including it in its literature and incorporating it into its work. To achieve this, measures contained in this Scheme will be applied to the Company s work with a view to developing and facilitating the use of Welsh within the Company. WNO s Chief Executive & Artistic Director, Managing Director and Senior Management Team will take account of the requirements of this Scheme when operational plans are being formulated. In circumstances where the management team are unsure of the linguistic impact of any new proposals, they will consult with Welsh speaking members of the Board for their input and advice. The Company will ensure that all staff are fully briefed about the cultural and linguistic context in which the Company works, as well as the contents of this policy. The Company will give positive assistance to those staff wishing to learn Welsh. Please direct any comments or complaints about this Scheme to: Peter Bellingham Managing Director Welsh National Opera Wales Millennium Centre, Bute Place, Cardiff, 3
CF10 5AL Phone: 029 2063 5005 E-mail: peter.bellingham@wno.org.uk 2. Vision, values, strategic principles 2.1 Vision Opera is our passion. At the heart of that passion is our belief that opera has the power to transform lives. We will reach out to everyone using our creativity, our daring, and our dynamism to ignite a new generation of operas lovers and to guide new and existing audiences on a journey of discovery. 2.2 Values Collaborative, provocative, smart, excellent 2.3 Strategic principles We ll do great opera with excellence, adventure, variety and flair We ll be great value by keeping prices affordable We ll reach more people by seeking new audiences and by extending engagement digitally We ll be an artistic leader by working with, supporting and developing the sector We ll be financially responsible by managing costs efficiently and by maximizing box office, fundraising and commercial income. 3. Planning and delivering services 3.1 New policies and initiatives In planning new policies and initiatives which affect the provision of public services in Wales, Welsh National Opera will ensure that all developments comply with the commitments made in this scheme. Welsh National Opera will assess the language needs of the target audience in order to offer the most effective service and make the best use of resources. 3.2 Delivery of services Welsh National Opera's aim is to provide a consistent and reliable service for Welsh speakers throughout Wales. As set out in the timescales we will work towards providing a comprehensive service of the same high standard in English and Welsh by: ensuring that all relevant staff/volunteers know how to refer individuals to Welsh language services; 4
ensuring that in public-facing events, service users are aware of which staff/volunteers speak Welsh by using the Working Welsh badges and posters; providing training and guidance for staff/volunteers to facilitate the implementation of the Scheme. Welsh Language training is made available; finding reliable translation services of a high standard to ensure that all relevant material is translated quickly and reliably. 4. Artistic output Any performances that take place in Wales for which surtitles are used are titled in both Welsh and English. (The Company s current policy is that all mainscale productions are surtitled and that use of surtitles for non-mainscale work is assessed on an individual project basis). When creating operatic projects in and for specific communities consideration will be given to which language performances will be created in. 5. Branding and corporate image 5.1 Corporate identity The WNO logo contains a logo mark designed around WNO and bilingual text Welsh National Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru. In logo form WNO is not translated to OCC. The public image and corporate identity of Welsh National Opera, including its address, visual identity and any other standard information will be bilingual. This will include headed paper, compliment slips, business cards, permanent signage, vehicles and premises. Certain items, such as badges, carry the logo only without text. 5.2 Signage In Wales, when replacing signage, all external and internal signage in public places at the premises of Welsh National Opera will be bilingual and equal in terms of form, size, quality and prominence. 6. Communicating with the Welsh-speaking public 6.1 Written Communication Welsh National Opera welcomes correspondence in English and Welsh. Any correspondence from the public and service users in Welsh will receive a reply in Welsh. 5
If it is known that a customer prefers to receive correspondence in Welsh, wherever practical we will correspond with that person in Welsh. Welsh National Opera will endeavour to maintain a database of customers who prefer to receive correspondence in Welsh, in English or bilingually. In order to facilitate communication with customers in Welsh, Welsh National Opera will maintain and provide staff with a list of translators. When Welsh National Opera has no staff available to answer correspondence in Welsh to a sufficiently high standard, we will use a professional translation agency. The headed paper and e-mail signature of Welsh National Opera will include a note at the bottom welcoming correspondence in English or Welsh. This will be incorporated when reordering stationery. 6.2 Telephone Communications Guidelines will be issued to staff on the steps to be taken when answering the telephone. All external calls will be answered with a standard bilingual greeting: Bore da Welsh National Opera Cwmni Opera Cymru or Prynhawn da Welsh National Opera Cwmni Opera Cymru If a member of staff is unable to provide a bilingual service, they will explain the situation to the individual and offer a Welsh language service from another member of staff / volunteer. If no Welsh speakers are available the caller may choose to have a Welsh speaker phone them back; submit the request in writing (hard copy/e-mail) or continue the conversation in English. Welsh National Opera will provide an internal directory of Welsh speakers in the organisation to whom calls may be transferred. Following a telephone conversation in Welsh, all subsequent communications, whether written or verbal, will be in the language of choice of the caller. 6.3 Face-to-face We will make every effort to ensure that people visiting our offices will be welcome to discuss their business in Welsh if they wish and will endeavour to ensure that Welsh speakers are present in our offices to deal with enquiries in Welsh. If the member of staff is unable to deal with the matter fully, every effort will be made to find a suitable person, in the office or over the phone. If this is not possible, the customer will be given an opportunity to discuss the matter in English or the enquiry will be noted and transferred to an appropriate member of staff for a written reply to the customer in Welsh. Visits by members of the public are extremely rare. 6.4 Public meetings and events Welsh National Opera does not hold large public meetings. However, in the event of WNO holding a public meeting or conference, translation needs will be assessed beforehand. The appropriate translation facilities will be provided on the basis of this assessment. If translation facilities are 6
provided, prior notice will be given that anyone will be welcome to speak Welsh. If, on the basis of the assessment, it is considered that translation facilities are not necessary or practical, this will be made clear beforehand. The assessment will be made on the basis of the purpose or subject matter of the meeting, its location, those likely to attend and any prior information regarding language choice. Equally an assessment will be made of the requirement for Welsh-speaking staff members to receive and welcome the public at meetings. Working Welsh badges denoting Welsh speakers will be worn to show which members of staff or volunteers speak Welsh. At public events and private events that involve speeches, the Chair or host will greet the audience bilingually. 7. Promotion, advertising and publications 7.1 Advertising All our print advertising is bilingual or in Welsh only in Welsh medium publications. Any broadcast advertising will be in the language appropriate to the broadcast station. Recruitment advertising is bilingual in publications distributed in Wales. Our vehicles contain some bilingual content. The vehicle fleet has yet to be upgraded to the new brand image and we will be reviewing the style and layout of fleet branding by year end 2014. Any new branding will reflect the principles of this scheme. 7.2 Marketing materials Most of our marketing materials are bilingual for activities only in Wales. We will ensure that all future display and marketing materials (letters, leaflets, e-newsletters and e-flyers) for events only in Wales will be bilingual, having been checked first by a fluent Welsh speaker who is a member of staff, or one of our translators. All our pricing, receipts and ticketing are produced by our partner venues. We will follow the current practice in each venue. We will also make our partners aware of our Welsh Language Scheme (see section 12). 7.3 Publications We will use more Welsh in our printed publications (e.g. opera programmes, year books, annual report and accounts etc.) and will ensure that there is Welsh language content in all of our programmes. Where we produce the material ourselves for events taking place only in Wales, programmes will be fully bilingual. Where materials are used in both England and Wales such as mainscale opera programmes both languages will continue to be used, the balance to be judged in relation to the particular programme. In mainscale programmes, as a minimum, the following will be expressed bi-lingually: welcome messages (these could be from Patron (HRH The Prince of Wales), 7
Artistic Director or Chairman); plot summary and synopsis for each opera; company biography; selected articles. 8
8. Press releases We create press releases, statements and notices in both languages and target them accordingly we would send a Welsh language release to a Welsh language publication or broadcaster and an English language release to English language publications and broadcasters. 9. Websites, IT, social media Welsh National Opera's website currently includes bilingual contentand we are committed to ensuring that all future content is bilingual. Both languages appear separately and it is possible for the user to move from one language to the other at any time by using the prominent language switch at the top right hand corner of each page. Welsh National Opera will support users to contribute to social media feeds in the language of their choice, welcoming contributions in Welsh and English. When Welsh National Opera responds to a user s comments, it will do so in the same language as the comment. Welsh National Opera will respond bilingually when that response is more relevant to the wider public. Welsh National Opera will endeavour to build bridges of communication between the linguistic communities and will appoint a language champion at Board level to bring ideas from one linguistic steam to the other. All email signatures will be bilingual and the Working Welsh banner and text will be available to members of staff who speak and communicate in Welsh.In order to help staff and volunteers work through the medium of Welsh, IT software such as the Cysgliad dictionary and spellchecker will be available on request. Employees will be made aware of this initially and then as part of the induction process for new employees. 10. Implementing the Scheme 10.1 Staffing When recruiting, Welsh National Opera considers what level of Welsh language skills are required to perform key roles in the organisation. We consider that having at least one fluent Welsh speaker to work as part of the marketing/press team to be important. We will share information about each employee s Welsh language skills within the workplace, so that we can direct Welsh language enquiries to the appropriate person. We recognise and appreciate the ability to speak Welsh as a skill which is useful when working in Wales. Every member of staff has the freedom to speak Welsh within the workplace and we expect staff to respect the linguistic preferences of their colleagues. 9
We will ensure that this Scheme is supported at the highest level in our organisation and that members of the management team are aware of its contents and understand that they are to work within the scope of its policies. This Scheme will be conveniently available for our staff to read. The Managing Director has responsibility for ensuring this Scheme is implemented. 10.2 Learning Welsh Welsh National Opera will encourage and support staff who wish to learn or improve their Welsh and encourage Welsh speakers to use the language whenever practical. Welsh National Opera provide training opportunities for staff who want to learn Welsh or improve their Welsh language skills. We will also arrange Welsh language and culture awareness sessions for managers. Welsh National Opera will introduce measures to monitor those who are developing and/or learning Welsh Language skills. 10.3 Translation Welsh National Opera uses the translation services of an independent provider. The Company also uses the services of another fluent Welsh speaker to proof read translated documents. WNO appreciates that the quality of translations is an essential factor in terms of providing a high standard of service in Welsh to its customers. It will ensure that translated material reflects the quality, style and impact of the original and that material originated in Welsh is of at least comparable quality. 11. Monitoring and feedback 11.1 Monitoring We will assess and revise this policy at least every three years. To ensure regular monitoring, in the intervening years an annual report will be presented to the WNO Board and shared with the Welsh Language Commissioner. 11.2 Complaints and feedback Welsh National Opera welcomes feedback or suggestions from the public, its staff and members for improving its Scheme and Welsh language service. Any suggestions should be sent to the Managing Director at the address at the beginning of this document. 12. Advertising the Scheme and raising public awareness Welsh National Opera will refer to the Scheme in its annual report, business plan and general material for customers and will make clear that customers are welcome to use Welsh when dealing with the Company and its employees. 10
Copies of the Scheme will be available to all the public from WNO s offices and on the Company s website. The Scheme will be circulated to all partner venues and other regular partners. 11