Yvette Vaughan Jones reveals the results of a survey designed to illuminate how cultural connections between China and the UK might work.
Chinas growth is well documented and, according to Goldman Sachs predictions, it will equal if not overtake the current G7 leaders in GDP per head by 2050. Of the fastest growing economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China), both India and China have already well-developed middle classes with disposable income and these are growing quickly. Just this week we learned that Indian tourists to London outstripped the Japanese and Visit Britain is combining with other agencies to try to attract the lucrative Chinese tourist market that at present is more interested in France largely due to the enormous financial investment from France in China building on the historic ties and cultural links.
So what does this mean for the cultural sector? In 2006, Visiting Arts undertook a major research project, commissioned by the British Council, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and others, that looked at current attitudes and aspirations of the UK and Chinas cultural communities, interviewing more than 200 cultural organisations in the two countries. Most of the major national companies and a number of smaller ones said that they considered international work to be at the heart of their practice because it increases profile for the work, the individual, the company and the country or region, as well as improving standards in artistic practice and cultural understanding and enriching the offer for audiences. Very few UK organisations see international working as a way of making money; successful programmes need considerable investment of time and resources. The funding, the picture is a tricky one. Not only is there not enough cash but the funding regimes of the two countries are not compatible. Countries other than the UK have been investing large sums of money in developing links with China and have paid for work to travel in both directions. In the UK, the funding practice requires overseas partners touring in to the UK to meet their own offshore costs in China, and if UK work is touring to China, fees are expected to be paid onshore, which at present is not always the case.
Sufficient time and resources must be allocated to allow projects to develop properly. Intelligence and brokerage are key to this: raw information is less important than filtered, mediated intelligence. Information needs vary between the UK and China according to scale, sector and geography. China has a greater need for basic information about the UK cultural scene than the UK has a need about China. For larger scale organisations, the information requirements are for the latest on-the-ground intelligence on contemporary trends and innovations, opinion formers and rising stars. Larger scale organisations are also particularly interested in introductions to key political figures and potential sponsors. Where they do request basic information, it is in those elements that add value to work such as education and outreach information, rather than in their own sector. For mid- and smaller-scale organisations, in both the UK and China, information on the sectors themselves is requested and, in particular, how the sectors are managed as well as who the key players are. There is also a desire for information on opportunities outside of the main centres. This is particularly true of UK companies wanting to work in China, but less of a concern from China.
Neither China nor the UK saw cultural differences in themselves as causing difficulties there exists an excitement and respect on both sides. Where there are difficulties, it is in the different expectations in planning and timescales and certain differences in working conditions for artists rest days, health and safety etc. There is a need for some basic understanding of protocols and ways of working. Research visits resulting in exchanges, residencies, work placements and mentoring are particularly valuable in setting the foundations for long-term fruitful relationships.
Much of this research told us what Visiting Arts and most cultural practitioners already know. And the kind of activity recommended is the work that we have been engaged in for some time. More interesting though is the desire to explore inter-culturalism through working together on collaborative projects that way cultural differences are explored at a deeper level whilst exploring and celebrating common approaches and ideas. With China set to command greater influence in all our lives over the coming decades, cultural collaborations now could mean a much richer cultural community in all ways.
Yvette Vaughan Jones is Executive Director or Visiting Arts.
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