"On the evidence of the last couple of decades, it is reasonable to assume that it’s a high risk strategy to wait for Arts Council to lead significant change." David Jubb says it's time for more honest conversations about what is not right with the way that we work.
I’m stuck in bed with a knackered shoulder. I’ve been experiencing a series of pitiful lockdown injuries. The first was a black-eye when one of my kids head-butted me. The second was a back injury after emptying a potty. And this week I woke up with a frozen shoulder so I can’t lift my right arm. I’m afraid my main contribution to the worldwide COVID-19 effort has been to prop up the flagging sales of Ibruprofen. This sorry state of affairs has reached rock bottom by being bed bound for two days. My partner is now trying to do her day job and look after our kids (my job) at the same time. Despite my guilt I won’t pretend there hasn’t been an upside; I have experienced relative quiet for a couple of days. I love my kids and all that but being tanked up on max strength painkillers, laying down in a quiet room and catching up with events outside this house has its perks.
I have been reading about the inspirational work of some cultural organisations during the COVID-19 crisis; such as Slung Low and Holbeck in Leeds and Knowle West Media Centre in Bristol. I have also spent time thinking a bit about my old job in Battersea and how challenging it must be to run a venue right now... Keep reading on 'Hello, I'm David Jubb & this is my blog'