It is so disheartening to hear a theatre manager bemoaning a commitment to increasing audience engagement (Danny Moar, quoted in AP235). Surely he can see the benefits to his box office earnings even if he is unable to appreciate the value of a more inclusive society? I wonder on what evidence his claims are made. It is no surprise, with these kind of attitudes prevalent amongst leaders of our large theatres, that many people still perceive the arts as elitist and ‘not for them’, as was highlighted in Arts Council England’s public value research a few years ago. For too long arts organisations have deflected any criticism by claiming it is interference in their artistic integrity. Whilst no one is calling for individual artists to always work collaboratively with their audience (although many do very successfully), surely an arts organisation can only be strengthened by a dialogue with its constituents.
Those who do want to increase participation and engagement would do well to look at the examples that have bucked the trend; Contact in Manchester and Theatre Royal Stratford East to name but two. What they have in common is that they validate the public’s chosen forms of cultural expression and engagement rather than promoting a prescribed definition of what is included in ‘the arts’. This is not an X Factor-style voting for what audiences want to see, but rather an ongoing dialogue with local people to explore the range of work that could be presented. Those who work in this way, far from feeling artistically compromised, describe the experience as liberating their creative practice and making them more able to take risks. They challenge some deep-rooted thinking about the artistic risks in making the arts accountable.
Similar public engagement is happening across the public sector, and arts organisations and funders would be well placed to think how to address this change sooner rather than later. Finding better ways to engage with the public is necessary, not only to attendance but to ensure that artistic practice is less self reflective.
Leila Jancovich is a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University, she is currently undertaking research into participatory decision making in the arts. She also co-ordinates a knowledge exchange network on participation and engagement in the arts for academics, policy makers and practitioners.
l.jancovich@leedsmet.ac.uk
www.participationandengagement-arts.co.uk