A tale of two sectors

The contrast between this week’s news stories on p1 and p2 of ArtsProfessional could not be more stark. In central London, theatres are more than holding their own in an economic climate that is laying waste to so many businesses in other sectors and regions. The sheer quality of the entertainment on offer has led to queues around the blocks for tickets, and the Treasury must be rubbing its hands in glee as foreign currency flows in from tourist spending and VAT receipts continue to grow. To what do we owe this golden age? Well, Richard Howle (p1) probably hits the nail on the head when he points to the symbiotic relationship between the subsidised and commercial theatre sectors. Is it a coincidence that the quality of stage productions is reaching an all-time high just now, or are we seeing the culmination of a decade of public investment in theatre? Perhaps this is the proof we’re always looking for that the ecology of the arts sector is at its most vibrant when the smallest and most vulnerable organisations can be nurtured through to maturity. And if this is the case, then Dany Louise’s fears for the future of the visual arts (p2) are well grounded. Unless the larger organisations are able to throw a lifeline to those who are facing extinction under public sector cuts – both from Arts Council England and local authorities – the seed beds for the future will be at best undernourished, and at worst barren.