THE NEWPORT-based Wales Arts Review has re-launched after closing in December last year due to a lack of funding.

The online arts magazine announced its closure after being unable to secure the £55,000 funding it asked for from the Welsh Books Council.

Donations from the public and crowdfunding helped the review raise £6,000 which enabled the re-launch as well as grants from the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Books Council.

The Wales Art Review re-launched its website on Friday (April10) at 10.30am.

The Review, which covers Welsh literature, theatre, music, cinema, visual arts, gaming and politics, has changed from a fortnightly-online magazine to a rolling news site. Seven out of the website’s nine editors are from Newport.

Editor of the Wales Arts Review Gary Raymond, 35, from Stow Hill, Newport, said: “Over the past three months we have put so much into this new site.

“After finding out in December last year we didn’t have the money to keep the site running we experienced an outpouring of national grief from the general public and our readers who showed despondency.

“We started a crowdfunding project late last year and were amazed at the goodwill of the general public. The Arts Council were determined to do whatever they could to help us while National Theatre Wales offered a lot of advice, expertise and free time from their executives."

The Review’s new website was designed by Newport-based graphic designers Virtual Pudding.

Mr Raymond added: “The guys at Virtual Pudding built our website in six weeks. We chose them as they are a brilliant Newport business who are so passionate about what they do.”

Currently on the Review’s site are interviews with 83-year-old painter and novelist Molly Parkin, and Ken Skates AM – the deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism. The Review plans to cover the Green Man festival, the Hay Festival and this year’s Wales Comicon, in Wrexham.

Mr Raymond said: “We fill a gap in the market when it comes to Wales. We offer something different to sites like Theatre Wales as we take a much more in-depth look at events.

“By scouring through personal blogs on art and culture we have selected some of the best new writers. It is a really important part of what we do as finding new voices and new events to cover are at the heart of the Wales Arts Review.”