I was asked by a-n to attend a meeting at the Arts Council in Manchester on Monday (just to clarify – time and travel paid for!). It was a really interesting trip, but I have had to leave it a few days before writing about it as there was just so much to digest.
The meeting was part of a consultation process giving feedback to a draft of The Visual Arts Blueprint: Towards a workforce action plan. This is a joint venture between Arts Council England and Creative & Cultural Skills (The Skills Council for the creative industries). The draft (51 pages) has been developed in consultation with lots of people in the arts, including EmiliaTelese from a-n.
It's difficult to know where to start as the document attempts to cover many things. I mean everything: artists, designers; freelancers; employers; job descriptions; addressing diversity in the arts; widening interest and knowledge of creative industries; creatives working in schools; schools, FE teaching and professional development on degree courses. I could go on. It is inevitable when something attempts to be so inclusive that it will fail on some counts, and the main problem that struck me (and others) about this document was that artists do not fit easily into any type of regulated guidelines, if at all. It did, however, address and provoke debate about some really important points such as internships as well as bridging the gap between contemporary artists and educators.
As there was so much to think about, I shall approach the document and resulting discussion one section at a time…
