Make the case for culture

News and features covering culture in the UK have long focussed on the many threats to its future. Threats such as the education reforms marginalising arts education; the cuts across the sector from the Government, through the Arts Council, through local authorities and even from private funders, thanks to the recession; the London-centric funding bias; and the lack of diversity among professionals and creatives in the arts industry. But perhaps most dishearteningly of all is the threat caused by the general apathy of the British population towards the arts.

How many of us have discussed the political and social issues that are endangering our cultural landscape with friends and family working outside the arts to discover that they were not aware of these dangers? And that they were not comfortable acknowledging these issues as a priority against a backdrop of the financial crisis and budget reductions to services such as the NHS and education?

Thus far, we have been urged by the government to make the financial case for culture. The argument has since shifted focus, as demonstrated by Robert Peston at the Warwick Commission debate recently when he asked attenders not to undervalue the holistic case for culture but to remember that culture gives us our humanity. Even Michael Gove has made a small concession to the arts in education, but sadly as yet, no firm commitment to supporting its future.

The debate needs to hear from as many voices working in, and benefiting from, the arts as possible

In the face of all this negative publicity, the confused advice over how best to argue the case for culture, and the swinging arguments surrounding arts and education policy, you would be forgiven for having a pessimistic outlook on the future of the UK cultural ecology. It is heartening therefore to know that over the past three years a movement focussed on securing the future of the arts has been steadily gathering pace, growing from its beginnings in London to becoming a UK-wide concern. That movement is What Next?. It began with a small number of arts leaders meeting regularly in London to discuss how they might unite to address their common challenges. It has grown to include 22 nationwide groups of individuals and organisations who meet regularly to combine forces and tackle the key challenges faced by their group, whether that be local challenges, governmental policy-making or pathways to work in the arts.

I am one of the individuals involved with What Next? Generation, a group of people who are still in the early to mid stage of their career. We concern ourselves with the need to take responsibility to secure the future of our industry. We aim to do this while supporting the next generation of artists, creative professionals and consumers by encouraging awareness of the impact culture has in the UK, by ensuring there are opportunities to engage with culture and by becoming the change we want to see in the professional sphere. Many of us are mentors to students, many of us campaign for the arts and we all discuss the importance of culture with our friends, colleagues and peers.

What Next? has already achieved some incredible feats including affecting policy by engaging political leaders in the cultural debate, such as Maria Miller, Ed Vaizey, Harriet Harman and Dan Jarvis, and raising the profile of culture among local groups, businesses and communities UK-wide. What Next? Generation has also met with David Clark, Deputy Chief Executive of the British Youth Council, to address ways in which we can better involve young people with the debates around the arts. We are also actively pursuing other such organisations to continue this discussion.

However, the key issue What Next? Generation is concerned with, one which was apparent at the Warwick Commission debate, is the lack of diversity. There are many representatives from performing arts organisations involved in the movement, many of whom are the leaders of these organisations, but to ensure our cultural ecology is at least as diverse in the future as it is now, the debate needs to hear from as many voices working in, and benefiting from, the arts as possible.

I therefore appeal to you as an individual interested in ensuring the arts can continue to flourish in the UK, to join the movement and add your voice to the campaign. If you already attend meetings, do you have younger colleagues or freelance connections who could benefit from attending or who it would benefit your group to hear from? We hear from very few artists, creatives, individuals and freelancers. I implore you to find your local group and meet with us. Even more so, if you find there is no group in your locality, or no group tackling the issues of your peers, start your own. We need your voice.

Alex Jones is Development Manager at Unicorn Theatre and a member of the What Next? Generation group.
www.whatnextculture.co.uk
www.unicorntheatre.com

To find out more about starting your own What Next? group visit WhatNextCulture.co.uk/how.