Arts: Are we cutting more than we can afford?

Today’s guest moo comes from Fiordilatte, who is is visiting from the creative industries to talk about how the rather large cut in the culture budget will lead to losses to the economy…

Yesterday’s Comprehensive Spending Review will see the Arts Council of England, the main body for the distribution of public funds to the arts, lose 29.6% of its £450m budget over the next four years. This is a hard hit, even though Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has demanded that the cuts to regularly funded organisations are capped at 15%.

The good news is that the free entry to museums and galleries is, at least for the moment, staying in place. Major attractions and big players in the arts field also have a relatively secure future – reshuffling for the 15% cuts will be tough, but everyone is bracing themselves for hard times.

At greater risk, though, are the smaller arts organisations, the one-off projects, the more innovative and risk-taking initiatives. These are affected not only by the cuts to ACE, but also by cuts to local authorities, universities, and schools.

The result? A depleted art world where fewer organisations will produce less diverse projects.

This is extremely disappointing for a country that prides itself to be at the forefront of creativity and innovation in the arts. For a drop-in-the-ocean saving in the deficit, we risk missing out on the vitality and resilience that a thriving arts sector can bring to a community.

The arts, in fact, are about more than just the eye-catching projects that attract tourists by the storm.

Art projects can be a real opportunity for introspection and development. Getting involved in the arts is a tool for self-expression, and can allow participants to elaborate on life experiences in personal and significant ways. Relating to others through the medium of art, whether making it or discussing it, can be a life-changing experience of self-discovery. Especially in the case of vulnerable individuals, participation to a creative project can reach where a more standardised approach has failed. The arts are highly involved in socially engaged practice, and make a real difference to quality of life and social cohesion.

Artists as professionals are incredibly entrepreneurial, likely to juggle a job that would cover living costs with the demands of a portfolio career. They often contribute not just their art but also stepping in as technicians, mediators, curators, teachers. The sector as a whole is committed and resourceful. Average salaries are low, especially when compared to those with similar education levels; the actual public spending dedicated to the arts is minimal as a projected £350m budget for 2014 demonstrates. And yet, the creative economy has shown continuous growth, and contributes to the wealth of the surrounding area: for each pound invested in the arts, £2 is returned to the local economy[1]. The cuts announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review could signify a loss to the wider economy of £700m over four years, counting the cuts to ACE alone. However the cultural sector will be affected also by cuts in other departments, especially local authorities, universities and schools.

The arts are a mirror for society, a channel through which we can come to question ourselves and the way we live. Especially as we face times of change, we need the arts as a reminder to look beyond the everyday, to feel connected to our fellow humans, and to imagine that a different future is possible.

- Fiordilatte

Sources

[1] Taken from the article You can cut us but don’t kill us, says the UK’s cultural leaders by the Arts Council England Press Office

Read more:

Reaction of shadow secretary to arts cuts

Artists’ Interaction and Representation (AIR) reviews the spending review

Reaction from the sector