MEASURING THE EXPERIENCE #36
The case studies similarly highlight how artists-led organisations have contributed to aspirations elsewhere for an enhanced local or regional cultural identity. Funding bodies have been keen to nurture and sustain artist-communities, not least because their presence has been demonstrated as an excellent way to revitalise an area as a prerequisite to economic regeneration. For example, Artspace Bristol’s activities are said by Bristol City Council to fit into strategies aimed at creating a “sustainable city”. The organisation is viewed not only as a providing a valuable resource for artists, but as being capable, along with galleries and other institutions, of making a major contribution to the city’s cultural identity as a whole. The work of The Pioneers is felt to have become a role model for community action across South Wales, not least because the national prizes and awards it has achieved. In terms of its status within Cardiff, the former city council featured the group’s work alongside that of Welsh National Opera in a promotional video to exemplify the quality of arts in the city.
In these situations, it could be argued that the energies and activities of artists at grassroots levels and over a period of time have provided a valuable ‘personal’ face to what is sometimes otherwise perceived to be the ‘institution’ of the arts, serving to deflect the oft-quoted criticism that the arts are an elitist activity and as such have no place in the lives of ordinary people.
In looking at the new sources of funds available to the arts, the National Lottery undoubtedly has the largest resources. In range of awards it makes, the National Lottery seeks to demonstrate that the arts are of value to the broad spectrum of the general public. As the case studies demonstrate, the National Lottery’s substantial funds for capital development have the potential of playing a major role in developing artist-led resources and community-based activities. Such ventures serve to contribute to the artistic vitality, cultural identity and to arts participation within a region or location whilst at the same time providing a secure working environment for practitioners, thus ensuring they can remain in, and contribute to, an area for a period of time. Major funding has already been allocated to groups in Hampshire and Bristol, with other artist-led organisations waiting in the wings. In response to this new and considerable fund, regional arts boards and local authorities have been sharpening their strategies as regards studio provision because these are recognised as not only “being a way to attract capital investment [but also as a way of retaining visual artists in the region”[1] However, as creating artists’ resources and studio provision is only one of the conditions which will enable artists to remain in an area, the funding system will need to address how to fulfil the other conditions. As part of this, it will need to review how and where practitioners fit into the current and future patterns of arts delivery, particularly given the lack of real income-generating opportunities which have been described earlier.
To fulfil their public obligations, galleries, arts centres, agencies and other arts organisations seek ways of engaging with audiences: as visitors, participants in activities and events, purchasers of artworks, sponsors of programmes of work and so on. In addition, these organisations are increasingly expected to engage with partners in the worlds of business and education, and also as a matter of course with other professionals in the arts and other related disciplines. In such a pattern of operation, the common factor is artists. They are the instigators of art, developers of audiences and as creative people, they are committed to activating the relationships and collaborations with other professionals which are crucial to contemporary arts development.
[1] Northern Arts’ Annual Report 1995/96
