“Imagine England without the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Angel of the North or the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra,” Arts Council England (ACE) asks us to ponder, as it enters year long celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of receiving its Royal Charter.
ACE succeeded the Committee for the Encouragement of Music and Arts (CEMA) that was set up to boost war-torn spirits in 1940, and kicked off in 1946 with just four projects (one of them being the then Covent Garden Opera Company, the now Royal Opera House) and a budget of £235,000. Today it assists thousands of arts organisations including community art projects and ‘creative individuals’ from all over the country by distributing public funds. 2005/2006 saw a budget of £570 million: £410 million coming from the Treasury and £160 million from the National Lottery. ACE will invest £1.1 billion of public money from both sources between now and 2008.
It is easy to get dazzled by the ACE figures in their millions and billions pouring into our beloved UK arts industry, but when we scratch the surface just who is benefiting from this benefactor, and truly what difference has public funding made over the past 60 years to the people and places of England?
Janine Parrish, Visual Arts Officer at the 20-21 Visual Arts Centre in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire is quick to step forward. “ACE funded £984,000 towards the total £1.6 million cost of 20-21 Centre, which opened its doors to the public on 19th May 2001,” she says. “Since the opening of the centre ACE have also funded a number of audience development projects.” She mentions Oasis: an after school project for children in one of the most deprived wards in North Lincolnshire, Artlink: a research project uncovering barriers to participation in arts for families with young children in rural areas of the county and Hooked which encourages youths to take part in arts activities at the centre. Janine insists that public funding has made a sizeable difference to North Lincolnshire and those who reside there. The 20-21 touring exhibitions also “makes arts accessible to socially excluded audiences” she adds.
Neil Beddow, Artistic Director of Bristol’s community theatre company ‘acta’(access, creativity, theatre, art) also sings the praises of public funding. acta received funding from Bristol City Council and Arts Council South West in 2002, which helped them refurbish an old youth centre to form the company’s base now equipped with offices, storage, design and costume studios and a rehearsal/performance space used by acta and touring companies. Working in Bristol since 1985, the company produced 30 pieces of new theatre last year and worked with nearly 2000 people. “The Advance project has developed a model of touring relevant participatory theatre to excluded communities” Neil tells me, “and we are directly involved in encouraging more people to take part in the arts, and making theatre accessible to a whole new audience.” In fact 90% of acta’s audiences do not regularly attend theatre performances, and I start to wonder if acta’s work is really appreciated, but local residents, like Rita Rich know from experience. “acta has had such a positive effect on our community” she confesses, “it brings people together.”
Yet public arts funding isn’t solely for the social cause and ‘high art’ is also supported with some of England’s finest and most prestigious organisations amongst the beneficiaries. There is also the Dance & Drama Awards providing new talent with the opportunity for professional training, with Connie Fisher (of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? fame) being the current poster child. The 20-21 Centre and acta have also given birth to professional performers, designers and arts administrators. Janine insists funding has enabled 20-21 to strengthen the infrastructure of local arts by “increasing opportunities for professional artists…encouraging them to stay or relocate to the area” and novelist Matt Thorne credits acta with his success “It taught me how to be creative” he says.
ACE also encourages the international links many benefiting organisations adopt, currently developing strategic overseas partnerships for cultural exchange. Many are sceptical though, and wonder how ‘internationality’ will contribute to a thriving UK arts scene. ACE believes it will raise cultural diversity in the arts, adding another string to the UK’s bow. One contributor to ACE’s Arts Debate believes “It is a scandal of huge proportions to find the Arts Councils regularly funding fringe, minority arts whilst the culture of indigenous England is left to rot”. Another agrees, “We English are victims of our own society. We have to dig deep in our pockets and then go to the back of the queue to receive.” So, maybe not all in the public-funding-garden is rosy and indeed there could be tougher times ahead as The Guardian announces “£410 million will be diverted from arts, heritage and other good causes from 2009” to foot the ever-expanding bill for the 2012 London Olympics.
As public funding stands today it’s not perfect. Yet, for every artist and arts organisation struggling to find the money and recognition they deserve, there are those who are achieving and contributing something very special to their country and its people, and thanks to organisations like ACE have been doing so for the past 60 years. Let’s just let’s just hope they get enough money to continue on for another 60 years at least.
