Just another day

For the vast majority of arts organisation in England (and pretty much all those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) 30 March is just another day.

These are the organisations who survive from day-to-day, month-to-month, and year-to-year, on the effort and inspiration of their directors, staff and volunteers. They probably receive funding from their local authority, and will spend much of their time fundraising from a very wide range of sources – many of which do not, nominally at least, have a brief to fund the arts.

Arts organisations have been very good at raising funds from trusts, foundations and generous individuals and businesses interested in supporting social change, or community development, or education, or economic regeneration. The arts delivers across all of these. And will continue to do so, despite the severe cuts in funding that most of the agencies which have supported the sector are now suffering.

So, spare a thought for these arts organisations who – with or without Arts Council funding – are already suffering the impact of the recession on their box-office income, and are facing up to the massive cuts in public funding instituted since the General Election. They will become ever more reliant now on the ingenuity and resilience of their staff and volunteers. And they’ll live to survive another day – a day which will bring us the inspiration, imagination, challenges, pleasure and pains which the arts contribute to our society.