Arts attendance and participation static amongst under-represented groups.
The arts sector has failed to meet Governments Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets for participation in the arts by adults from disabled, socially excluded and Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups. In its Annual Report, published last week, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) reports that significant progress has been made against its PSA targets for sport, museums and heritage. However, its two targets for the arts to increase arts attendance by 3% and arts participation by 2% in under-represented groups have not been met. The figures reveal that there was no evidence of change in attendance or participation levels in the arts for any priority group in the period 2003-2006, and certain types of analysis even suggest a decline in attendance by BME groups. By comparison, adult visitors to national museums and galleries in socio-economic groups C2, D and E have increased by 27%, dramatically exceeding the DCMS target of 8%.
The failure of the arts sector to meet the PSA targets, particularly those for BME attendance and participation, is a major blow to Arts Council England (ACE), which, as part of its own funding agreement with the DCMS is required to work towards the PSA targets. It was involved in decisions about how achievement against these targets would be measured, and funding priorities have been altered accordingly: a long-standing commitment has been made to a minimum of 10% of Grants for the Arts awards benefiting BME artists and arts organisations. ACE has now put a remedial action plan in place, focusing on improving methods of capturing data relating to the targets, and is developing a toolkit to support its Regularly Funded Organisations in measuring their audience and visitor numbers among the target groups. Its national office was restructured last year, including the establishment of the new role of a Director of Participation, and Celebrating Diversity has been identified as one of its six strategic ambitions for 2006-2008. It is also working with the DCMS and the Treasury to identify the influences that need to be applied in order to make a long-lasting difference to participation and attendance rates. New Government targets are in place for 2005-2008, with the age range broadened. Among priority groups the aim now is to increase the number of adults and young people aged 16 and over who participate in arts activity at least twice a year by 2%, and to increase the number who attend arts events at least twice a year by 3%. A spokesperson for ACE said, We take the PSA targets very seriously and have already implemented actions that were outlined in the action plan for PSA 3& an updated plan is now being finalised which we believe will set us firmly on the road to getting more art to more people in more places.
The publication of the DCMS PSA findings coincides with the launch of a provocation essay about diversity by the Manifesto Club Artistic Autonomy Group. Boxed In: How Cultural Diversity Policies Constrict Black Artists, by author and artist Sonya Dyer, argues that diversity schemes and targets are pigeonholing Black and Asian artists and calls for artistic value and curatorial independence to be placed at the centre of arts funding. Her research suggests that cultural diversity policies aimed at increasing participation by ethnic minority artists in the visual arts sector are having the opposite effect: