The fear remains that the Government's “rescue” package will prop up the institutions that have strong muscle memory in economic terms, leaving individuals, smaller venues and organisations even more exposed to impossible sustainability issues, says Stella Kanu.
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The government’s recent announcement of an emergency injection of a £1.57bn investment in the cultural and creative sector, after months of uncertainty and crisis management, is very welcome. Those of us who have lobbied behind the scenes for support for the sector have done so understanding that our cultural industries are one of Britain’s greatest success stories, employing more than two million people and contributing £117bn to the economy. As someone who has dedicated a career of 28 years to culture – delivering participation programmes, programming festivals, running venues and leading organisations, most recently as executive director of the London International Festival of Theatre – I am deeply aware of how crucial this financial support will be in protecting our work.
Though many people think of the arts in the UK as limited to high-profile films, television, music and theatre, the sector is in reality a far broader workforce; one that deals with health, youth participation and widening cultural engagement in every city, town and rural location across our four nations... Keep reading on The New Statesman