In excess of £1.5 million was made available for more than a hundred projects encouraging participation in the arts by young people in Wales in the past 12 months, the Arts Council of Wales announced yesterday. According to the council, a total of £1,757,940 was made available through the ‘Supporting Young Creativity’ scheme, established with additional funds from the Welsh Assembly Government. The funds have supported a number of projects, including revenue funding for 11 companies working with young people across Wales, a series of pilot youth arts projects by local authorities, and the establishment of the Young People and the Arts Scheme, which supported 105 projects over the past year. The arts council has also announced that the work will continue in 2003-2004, following the appointment of a full-time officer. Reviews will be conducted on access schemes for young people attending the arts, on youth theatre provision in Wales, as well as the role and remit of the Arts and Young People Task Force. The ACW also plans to revise and develop the Child Protection Policy and guidelines. Commenting on the announcement of the Supporting Young Creativity Fund in Cardiff yesterday, Culture Minister Jenny Randerson said: ‘This fund takes forward the implementation of the Assembly Government's and the arts council's shared strategies for the arts and young people in a wonderfully positive way.’ Meanwhile, Liam Kealy, an Arts Development Officer from Swansea involved in the scheme, commented: ‘The project will allow us to deliver a co-ordinated framework that will help young people to access a wide range of arts activity. Young people in Swansea already achieve a great deal in the field of the arts and this project will help us to build on this.’ CLICK HERE to visit the Arts Council of Wales website.