New research paints a depressing picture of the sector’s response to our political future. John Nicholls calls for more coherent lobbying for the future of the arts.
The second decade of the twenty-first century has the potential to see the cultural landscape of the UK shift massively, which will challenge financial models, creativity and the ways in which the arts looks to engage audiences. The manner in which the sector as a whole seeks to respond to these issues and strives to influence debate will be critical in shaping the future directions of the sector for the next ten years. Perceptions within the sector at present would seem to suggest that a significant proportion of arts professionals may be set to give up the fight before it has even begun.
The second decade of the twenty-first century has the potential to see the cultural landscape of the UK shift massively, which will challenge financial models, creativity and the ways in which the arts looks to engage audiences. The manner in which the sector as a whole seeks to respond to these issues and strives to influence debate will be critical in shaping the future directions of the sector for the next ten years. Perceptions within the sector at present would seem to suggest that a significant proportion of arts professionals may be set to give up the fight before it has even begun.
MANIFESTO DREAMS
Conducted between 5 August and 16 September – in advance of the ‘conference season’ and as part of AQ’s ongoing recession impacts research on the arts, our research into perceptions around the 2010 General Election paints a rather depressing picture. We asked a series of questions aimed at capturing views from senior arts professionals as to what the next few months might hold for the sector, as the parties increasingly manoeuvre to engage the electorate. We sought views on what the arts sector looks for in party manifestos, possible outcomes of the election itself and what the immediate post-election period may hold for the arts.
What became clear was lack of any knowledge within the sector of definite and open support for the arts from any of the political parties. If the past three weeks of on-screen and off-screen politicking have shown us anything, it is that there are bigger fish to land to win the hearts and minds of the UK electorate. It is now merely a question as to when and how deep the cuts will be and, conversely, how much we will all have to pay in increased taxes thanks to the state of the global economy. Without active intervention by the arts community, this major contributor to UK plc is in danger of appearing as a manifesto after-thought rather than at the heart of government economic and social development policy for the next five years. A wish to see the sector featuring more visibly in the spending debate was the most requested issue raised by respondents, along with a clear commitment from the parties to provide assurance that subsidy will remain uncut. That said, some 69% of our sample see cuts in subsidy as inevitable. Many respondents looked to see manifesto assurances that the parties will commit to promoting increased levels of support via the private sector through changes in tax regulations, to offset losses in public funding. Whether this may be truly viable, at a time when both government income and expenditure will be picked over both in party HQs and in the media, may be questionable, but the time is at hand for the sector as a whole to up its game in making its case.
SHARPENING OUR ELBOWS
The challenge will be for the sector collectively and via organisational networks to jostle for position, both in the public arena and within the corridors of power, when the agenda will be dominated by issues of health, financial regulation, unemployment, education and defence. Without any form of incentive to support the arts, and given the current economic climate, only 13% of our sample saw any prospect of private sector funding increasing beyond current levels, post-election. Without some degree of action, a visible shrinkage of the cultural economy could become a genuine prospect.
On the political front, some 81% of respondents stated that a Conservative majority government could be the most likely result. No respondents foresaw the return of a Labour or Liberal Democrat government, while a further 15% of respondents remained undecided or did not wish to respond. In this context, we asked respondents how they felt the wider arts community might fare post-election – irrespective of the outcome – and only 12% could see the sector prospering. When asked to provide further justification of views, there was a very clear steer:
“There is a need for public spending cuts regardless of which party is elected.”
“Given the economic and overall uncertainty, who knows what the government (whether Labour/Conservative/otherwise) will be able to do.”
“[Arts] budgets will be raided to compensate for pressure upon statutory services such as education, social services, housing and welfare provision which have been heightened by the impact of the current economic downturn.”
Without an escalation in lobbying, any notion of a thriving cultural economy will in itself become a memory – just like the conference season we have all just lived through.
JOHN NICHOLLS is Managing Partner of Arts Quarter LLP. Copies of the Briefing Paper can be obtained free of charge from AQ, and its second report on the impacts of the recession on the arts will be available later this month.
This week John attended the opening of the ‘Maharaja – The Splendour of India’s Royal Court’ exhibition at the V&A, and got to grips with the script of a new play about the life of Bess of Hardwicke.