Much has been written about Tony Blairs quest for a legacy. From Northern Ireland to climate change, he has searched for a policy area to which his name will be inextricably linked. Blair may have come to be synonymous with a number of things over the past ten years not all of them flattering but wed be surprised if anyone had pinned him as the saviour of the arts. Blairs determination to be seen as a man of the people has seen him cold shoulder anything that might be portrayed as exclusive simply because it doesnt fit a conventional view of what is popular. He might be more at ease in the dress circle than on the football terraces but he has made it his mission not to appear that way. So now, at the eleventh hour, as he is about to leave office, he finally owns up to thinking the arts are a good thing (p1). But like a comedian past his prime, his timing could have been better.
There is no denying that the arts have done well over the past ten years. A glance through the Department for Culture, Media and Sports glossy bid for Treasury funds (p4) reminds us of all that has been achieved. From the Theatre Review and free entry to museums and galleries, to innovations in professional development opportunities, the sector has experienced climate change of its own and things are a lot less frosty now than when Labour came to power. Of course, many of the improvements will be linked to Chris Smith, Blairs first Culture Secretary, rather than to Blair himself, but thats life. Certainly, the rate of the thaw in Government relations with the arts has slowed since Smith left the cabinet and there is a real sense now that things could go either way. A second funding freeze would have the effect of stymieing positive change, undoing much of the good work that artists have achieved. Tony Blair acknowledges this, but the real mission now is to convince Gordon Brown. Far from obsessing about Blairs legacy, one imagines the Chancellor is pre-occupied with his own inheritance, and artists and arts bodies must continue to remind him what the arts can add to the country he plans to lead. Endorsement from the current Prime Minister is nothing to be sneezed at but now its time to convince the next one.
Liz Hill and Brian Whitehead
Co-editors