Everyone’s doing it

Apparently the UK has ‘technically’ dropped into recession again – but that news is pretty immaterial to the arts sector, much of which feels that it has never recovered from the last recession which ‘technically’ ended in 2009. Being a glass-half-full sort of person, I’ve spent the past few years trying to think of reasons why ‘being in recession’ isn’t necessarily all bad, and it’s been a challenge – even for me. But this week’s issue has settled my mind to some extent: collaboration and partnership are those reasons. It was difficult commissioning editorial for the main feature in this week’s magazine and online showcase because the scope of fascinating, valuable, mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations taking place across the sector is quite breathtaking. Everyone’s doing it. Even the articles and news items that aren’t part of the main feature involve different types of working together – the London venues joining forces to buy cheaper energy (p2); the Old Fire Station in Oxford teaming up with the charity Crisis (p10); and Cockpit Arts working with an asset management company to create an environment for fledgling craft businesses to grow together (p14). Many of these initiatives have come about as strategies for addressing the grim realities of the economy, and the imagination and vigour with which they are being pursued is testament to the resilience of arts managers across the country, about whom the old adage ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’ was presumably written.

And by the way, if you have any lightbulb moments as to how your organisation could work in partnership with ArtsProfessional to the benefit of us both, just drop us a line. The recession has provoked more than a few challenges for the publishing sector, but we’re still here, developing exciting plans for the future, and are moving towards some partnerships and collaborations of our own. Watch this space – my glass may be half full, but it will be brimming over soon.