Do you know the one thing I hate most about being an artist and arts organiser? Well even if you don’t I am going to tell you as this is my blog so n’uh n’uh n’uh n’uh n’uh
PAPERWORK and PEOPLE
Now I don’t mean this as offensive as it may sound. I like people; that’s why I set up Live Art Local (which as of 13th Jan has had CIC status conferred upon it); but I do not like being reliant on other people and having to persuade them about the importance of art and the arts.
I have spent all of today in meetings about Fareham Arts Festival and trying to arrange events with partners; during today I have had my personality torn to shreds by a horticulturist with two decades of events experience and then had him be nice to me again but reassert that they will not do any of the work bar letting us use their space. I have also found out due to us possibly having in excess of a certain number of people turn up (though it is unlikely at this one event as part of the whole… if that makes sense) to a stage event I have to apply for a different licence.
There are also the mountains of paperwork and the fact that I am to blame if anything goes wrong and I find myself asking the question:
Why do I do this?
I am not being paid (anything at all at present); the council only half heartedly support it and maybe no one cares about the arts outside of us artists and creatives… maybe I am deluded about what the arts can achieve and uniting the people……. I don’t know any more.
Except that I do. There is something deep down inside of me that says this is what I should be doing. This is how to connect people and to make the arts more accessible.
Today I spoke with the library about a new initiative to use the arts as a way to facilitate social interaction with older, lonely people and they seem very keen. We will wait and see what happens there.
One thing I have decided upon in the last few months and that is I am definitely getting involved in politics. I am attending the next official meeting of The Co-operative Party, of which I am a member and once the Arts Festival is over I am going to find a way to run as an independent in the next council elections.
