Hot iron

There is clearly a perception in the arts world that the iron is hot and the time to strike is now. In a matter of weeks we have had two important papers suggesting – nay, insisting upon – changes to the way the UK deals with the arts and culture. Tim Joss’s ‘New Flow’ (see AP182 and AP183) called for a completely new infrastructure to support the creators and providers of the arts, while Demos’s John Holden, in his ‘Democratic culture’ paper (p3) argues for a completely new political basis for access to culture. It could be that these papers are the result of the fallout from a number of major upheavals in arts politics during 2008 – and what better place than AP’s last issue of the year to look back on them? This time last year, we were cudgelling information out of Arts Council England (ACE) on its disastrously handled funding review. A new ACE head, a new set of priorities and a slew of initiatives such as Find Your Talent have all arrived since then – but has our basic mind-set adjusted to the changing landscape? Wales has gone from a precarious situation where the very existence of Arts Council Wales (ACW) was under threat, to apparent new strength with its beacon companies and sympathetic new Heritage Minister (AP178). Scotland’s artistic and cultural future still hangs in the balance with plans for Creative Scotland’s transition into a limited company, and thence into its new public entity, due to be announced any day. Linda Fabiani, Scotland’s Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture (who will feature in AP in the new year) has come under fire as financial and structural difficulties have been relentlessly exposed, and yet she clearly remains confident that the new body can emerge, smiling, into the sunlit uplands of the New Year. At the risk of flogging a familiar argument to death, any brave new system, such as those suggested by Joss and Holden, will have to take account of the increasingly pluralistic funding and policy scene across the four nations of the UK. Meanwhile, let us relax a little as the party season take hold, and look forward to what we all hope will be a peaceful and, with luck, a solvent New Year.