If one in five British managers think being creative means participating in wacky stunts (p4) its perhaps no surprise that business sponsorship for the arts is a bit up and down. Images of the arts that misrepresent the true nature of the industry are nothing new but over the past decade, many in the arts have felt the tide turning. Government figures have extolled the economic value that creativity and the creative industries bring to society. High visibility events, from elephants in Oxford Street to angels in the north, have boosted the profile of the arts, while landmark arts buildings, dedicated practitioners and quality organisations have worked to bring the arts into peoples daily lives. Its disappointing then that business sponsorship is so uncertain. The Arts & Business annual review of private investment in the arts (p3) shows sponsorship in kind, corporate membership and corporate donations all dropping off over the past year, a drop which is not compensated by an increase in cash donations. The £153m that businesses invest in the arts is not to be sniffed at but the fact remains that at a time of relative stability in the economy as a whole, that figure is lower than in previous years.
But should we really be surprised? Business is a volatile well business. Investments can go up and down. And so can businesses willingness to pump any of their wealth into other sectors. However, there is no real sense that businesses are stepping back from sponsorship or donations to charities in other sectors, and sponsorship is still to be found everywhere from Coronation Street to the Champions League. Arts & Business, which bills itself as the world renown authority on business investment in the arts, essentially blames competition from other sectors for the arts failure to harness this sponsorship (and doesnt make a point of stepping forward to shoulder any of the blame itself). But competition alone is not reason enough for these failures. The arts need to provide what businesses are looking for, and whilst traditional performances and exhibitions will always be attractive to some potential sponsors, the emergence of new technologies for producing and distributing art means that the sector may well have to seek out new hooks on which to hang its wares if it is to regain businesses support.
Liz Hill and Brian Whitehead
Co-editors