Five artists have created powerful work for the 10th anniversary of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, to engage people with some of Wales’ biggest challenges. 

The Future Generations Commissioner commissioned the work to highlight the power of art and the contribution of artists and creatives to society, and features in his Future Generations Report 2025. 

Mr Walker makes major recommendations, including around culture and the Welsh language, in the statutory report, which makes recommendations to ensure Welsh culture and language is more of a priority for our public bodies. 

Wales now ranks third from bottom of European countries for spending per person on recreational and sporting services, and second from bottom for cultural services.   

The artists’ collaboration is part of Mr Walker’s team’s commitment to ensuring culture is fully embedded in local and national policy and to exploring innovative approaches to expand how his team engages cultural freelancers across their work. 

Paskaline Maiyo, Flatboy (Seren Thomas), Kyle Stead, Teulu von Flap and Rightkeysonly were selected via an open call and invited to develop their work in dialogue with the commissioner’s team. 

Paskaline’s Tik Tok (Living Canvas for Climate Change), transforms the human body into a visual narrative, illustrating the progression of a day from morning to evening, to convey the causes, impacts, and solutions related to climate change. The model’s pose, gazing at an hourglass, serves as a reminder of the urgency of time and emphasises that the window for impactful action against climate change is narrowing, urging immediate and conscious efforts to preserve our planet. 

Seren Thomas’ Map of Dreams (a version of which features on the cover of the Future Generations Report), captures the artist’s hopes for what a Wales which fully understands and operates on a social model of health could one day look like, illustrating the importance of co-production, prevention and alleviating inequalities to the future health of Wales. The map takes inspiration from initiatives already operating in Wales. 

Kyle Stead’s spoken word piece, What’s Our Future, is set against the backdrop of Rhondda Fach from Maerdy Mountain, and highlights the need for improved mental health support, greater investment in arts and culture, and the lived reality of neurodivergence. He asks ‘can we be better?’ in a piece that demands action. 

Teulu Von Flap’s performance to film, Balancing Act/Gweithred Cydbwyso, sees the family try to keep and tip physical balance through play, focusing on factors that will contribute to future health and well-being such as climate, culture, food inequality, housing crisis, health and culture, through the lens of family dynamic. Through this, they attempt to uphold the themes in the report – a visual articulation of their attempt to work together physically and metaphorically to achieve the Cymru Can missions.

Mi, is a piece of music by RightkeysOnly, which addresses climate action from a disability accessible perspective. Combining samples of birds, bellowing wind and tree branches with synth bass lines and electronic strings, the artist wanted to gift the natural world with a voice it does not often have.  Mi forces the listener to recognise the fears and adverse experiences of the disabled community in Wales, but also highlights “how we can work together to build a climate friendly Wales that is inclusive of the Disabled communities that call it home.”

Mr Walker believes artists and creatives can use their skills and experience to shape the development and delivery of public services, to support innovation in all areas of public life  and engage people in solving big issues – and calls in the report for a culture bill to make culture a statutory requirement on public bodies to strengthen the role it plays within local communities.   

He said: “I’ve been enlightened by the vibrant and powerful ways in which the creatives have brought some of the issues the report considers to life, grounding them in the real-life experiences of communities in Wales and offering both inspiration and challenge to those delivering public services. 

“We can do much better to embed culture in the way public services deliver its work, to bring wider benefit for everyone and I share more examples in my Future Generations Report of where culture is being recognised and where projects can be upscaled across Wales, and how we can go further to ensure culture is given the priority and resources it deserves.” 

Kyle Stead, age 28 from Rhondda, said: “I’m passionate about well-being in Wales because I believe we can do better. Art is a powerful tool for change because it can offer fresh or different perspectives. “I want public bodies to know that we provide value and we shouldn’t be fighting for scraps, pitted against each other because of a lack of resources, space and finances.” 

Paskaline Maiyo, age 30, based in Cardiff, said: “I envision Wales as a vibrant, inclusive space where artists from all backgrounds can express their creativity while driving meaningful impact and awareness across different communities. Art in Wales is growing and it’s powerful. More bodies should tap into the young talents including the non-residents of the United Kingdom. We only create a better world where we all have blank canvas, and everyone can shape the future generations through art.” 

Rightkeysonly, age 25, from Llantrisant, said: “As a physically disabled and neurodivergent person, I have experienced many times in which my needs have been viewed as a negative. As a Disabled person, I have often recognised the irony in stating we must all be involved in the conversation on climate change whilst not providing accessible spaces for Disabled people to contribute. I have also been very lucky to have many experiences in which I have proven that my needs are in fact a super power and met incredible communities within the creative sector that believe so too. But, being accepted for who you are shouldn’t be based on luck, it should be the standard. One day, that will be the standard within Wales and I believe the arts is the best resource we have to make that happen.” 

Seren Thomas, age 28, based in Cardiff, said: “I am passionate about making change to people’s wellbeing in Wales because there is still so much to be done. Wales has historically been a very creative, socially engaged and community driven place, and in reminding people of that history, I hope we can harness some of its power today. Art has the ability to emotionally engage people in a different way than what we are used to seeing in politics today. It helps people to see a situation beyond their own experience, and to hopefully see how other solutions could be possible for them and for others.” 

Teulu Von Flap, which includes Kathryn age 40, James age 39, Teifion age 9 and Taran age 5 , based on Barry Island, said: “Artists have the ability to be lead consultants in the design/decision process of policy – we are often individuals who are community leads and are likely to not be institutionalised, therefore having the freedom to ask questions that can provoke and instigate a wider discussion. Artists are aware of their unique position as service users in the community whilst simultaneously providing engagement and generating creative activity. Artists need to be brought to the table more often!”