Arts: the losing team?

As buildings start to emerge from the foundations of the Olympic Park in London’s East End, and the media continues to be littered with stories about the overall budget for the 2012 Games, change management agency Arts Quarter asked a wide range of leading figures across all major artforms for their views on the likely impacts of 2012 on the cultural sector. Views were gathered from the close of the 2008 Beijing Games until mid September – prior to the global banking crises of late September and early October. While opinions may have been marginally coloured by the economic climate, at the time of the online poll the country was still basking in the media acclaim of Team GB, and leading figures from government and politics were hailing the dawn of a new age for British sport in the run-up to 2012 and beyond.

Main findings

The findings of the survey, ‘Impacts of the 2012 Olympics on the UK Cultural Sector’, make for sober reading and provide ample material for reflection by arts funding bodies in the public and private sectors, as well as Olympic organisers. Many within the arts remain largely unmoved by commitments to ensure that the arts are at the heart of the 2012 Games. The majority of the 341 respondents remain neutral about the benefits of the Games themselves for the arts, even though there is evidence of isolated pockets of commitment to key programmes that are planned within the Cultural Olympiad. A substantial majority also feel that they may lose out financially as a direct consequence of 2012, from declining public and private sector support as well as from falls in admission revenue – potentially a double hit in light of current economic forecasts. Many stated that they are seeking to undertake remedial work of their own in order to maintain their financial viability within an increasingly competitive environment, especially as sport is likely to attract the bulk of commercial revenues and greater public engagement over the immediate four-year period. Only a fifth of respondents presently consider there to be a possible positive legacy for the arts in achieving wider audience engagement out of the 2012 Games.

National pessimism

Viewpoints among respondents from across the UK differed significantly from those held within the host city itself. While close to 37% of respondents in London felt a degree of optimism for the UK cultural community out of 2012, optimism fell to 14% of respondents elsewhere in the UK. Looking at how individual organisations may benefit from 2012, only 6% of respondents outside London felt that their own organisation would prosper from the Games. In London, while this figure rose to 22%, one could argue that this is an equally disappointing figure in view of London’s status as host city. There was a prevailing lack of understanding of potential opportunities, and there was a clear sense that information on how the wider arts sector might engage with 2012 was inadequate. This issue, more than the positive images of sport to the detriment of culture over the summer, may have coloured respondents’ views.

Considering the findings of AQ’s report and present forecasts for the UK economy, there is a danger that the UK could be walking into a cultural meltdown akin to the global financial crisis. Alternatively, the cultural sector could be forced to deliver mainstream commercial work for the sake of maintaining visitor-generated revenues, avoiding notions of risk in programming for the sake of preserving their operations.

John Nicholls is a Managing Partner of Arts Quarter LLP.
e: info@artsquarter.co.uk