State of the arts
This week has seen a landmark event in the world of arts with the announcement from Arts Council England of who and what they are going to fund from 2012 onwards.*
Since then I have had many heated debates with people about the nature of funding and the place it has in society…there is no doubt in my mind that the arts in all it’s guises not only enriches society but binds it together. It can repair communities damaged by conflict and deprivation, it can strengthen individuals holistically enabling them to play a positive role in their community. It does this only if it is rooted in true quality and integrity. The extent of good that can be done in the making, viewing, participation and reflecting of art is immeasurable figuratively and unfortunately often literally, and it is this difficulty in measuring the impact of art on individuals and communities that makes justifying what we do so very difficult. The bottom line is that the arts make any society and therefore this country a better place and like anything there is a price to pay for this. In cutting the funding for the arts the government are taking immense risks that will inevitably lead to huge gaping wounds in our precarious social cohesion, in the same way as cutting funding for education, youth services and health jeopardizes projects and services that play a critical role in everybody’s lives.
However I am not someone who thinks that funding should be automatic, that everyone is entitled to it and I am very proud to be artistic director of a youth theatre (and arts company) that has managed to maintain an enviable state of independence. This meant that on Wednesday I had no need to panic, that I didn’t need to worry that someone else was going to be able to decide whether we survived or not. Through a combination of your fees, the generous deal we get on some of our workshop venues, some funded projects and external commissions we have made Yew Tree Youth Theatre as independently stable as it can be. Yes, we are constantly looking out for ways of boosting our income and maintaining that stability but we have a 15 year track record of doing that. Equally important is that on the foundations of that financial independence we create art and arts experiences of true quality and integrity, whether that be our public performances or our rehearsals and workshops.
So YTYT members feel proud of what you belong to and know how valued you are as part of our arts movement. We’re inextricably bound and through that relationship we are doing our bit to stand against the damage being wrought by decisions being made on our behalf by the powers that be.
*For any youth theatre members who hadn’t been aware of this…in response to the cut in funding from the government Arts Council England asked all arts organizations to apply/reapply for funding. Their decision for who should be/shouldn’t be funded and how much they got was announced on Wednesday. Some significant people have had their funding cut entirely, others have had it reduced drastically and a lucky few have been funded for the first time or have been given a raise.
Since then I have had many heated debates with people about the nature of funding and the place it has in society…there is no doubt in my mind that the arts in all it’s guises not only enriches society but binds it together. It can repair communities damaged by conflict and deprivation, it can strengthen individuals holistically enabling them to play a positive role in their community. It does this only if it is rooted in true quality and integrity. The extent of good that can be done in the making, viewing, participation and reflecting of art is immeasurable figuratively and unfortunately often literally, and it is this difficulty in measuring the impact of art on individuals and communities that makes justifying what we do so very difficult. The bottom line is that the arts make any society and therefore this country a better place and like anything there is a price to pay for this. In cutting the funding for the arts the government are taking immense risks that will inevitably lead to huge gaping wounds in our precarious social cohesion, in the same way as cutting funding for education, youth services and health jeopardizes projects and services that play a critical role in everybody’s lives.
However I am not someone who thinks that funding should be automatic, that everyone is entitled to it and I am very proud to be artistic director of a youth theatre (and arts company) that has managed to maintain an enviable state of independence. This meant that on Wednesday I had no need to panic, that I didn’t need to worry that someone else was going to be able to decide whether we survived or not. Through a combination of your fees, the generous deal we get on some of our workshop venues, some funded projects and external commissions we have made Yew Tree Youth Theatre as independently stable as it can be. Yes, we are constantly looking out for ways of boosting our income and maintaining that stability but we have a 15 year track record of doing that. Equally important is that on the foundations of that financial independence we create art and arts experiences of true quality and integrity, whether that be our public performances or our rehearsals and workshops.
So YTYT members feel proud of what you belong to and know how valued you are as part of our arts movement. We’re inextricably bound and through that relationship we are doing our bit to stand against the damage being wrought by decisions being made on our behalf by the powers that be.
*For any youth theatre members who hadn’t been aware of this…in response to the cut in funding from the government Arts Council England asked all arts organizations to apply/reapply for funding. Their decision for who should be/shouldn’t be funded and how much they got was announced on Wednesday. Some significant people have had their funding cut entirely, others have had it reduced drastically and a lucky few have been funded for the first time or have been given a raise.
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