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State of the Arts - The Conference for the Arts
Over 500 leading artists, entrepreneurs, cultural leaders and policy makers will meet today (14 January 2010) to discuss the future of the arts in England.
State of the Arts, hosted by The Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA) and Arts Council England, features keynote speeches from Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Ben Bradshaw MP, Shadow Culture Minister Jeremy Hunt MP, Chair of Arts Council England Liz Forgan and RSA Chief Executive Matthew Taylor.
The conference examines current and future challenges and opportunities around domestic arts policy, strategy and funding and Britain's position within the global cultural landscape.
In a keynote address at the event, Arts Council England Chair Dame Liz Forgan will make the case for sustained public funding for the arts, saying:
“It’s not for me to make public spending allocations but I will say this. It is hard to think of any area of public expenditure where such a small amount of money delivers greater benefit than it does in the arts.
“It’s hard to think of any other place where such a small cut will run so deep. We have tried arts cuts before – they led to a sharp decline in audiences, deteriorating venues and infrastructure, a hand-to-mouth existence, lack of enterprise, and a loss of artistic nerve.
“Cut investment in the arts and the spiral of decline will be swift – not only in audiences, quality and talent, but also in the impact on the creative economy and on Britain’s world standing and sense of identity.”
Forgan’s speech also announces next week’s launch of a major Arts Council consultation - Achieving Great art for everyone. She calls for the arts, publicly funded, commercial and voluntary sectors, to get involved in shaping the Arts Council’s future priorities over the next ten years, saying:
“As a recipient of public funding, the Arts Council has a duty to set out clear ambitions so that everyone, arts professionals or not, can see what we stand for and how we expect to be judged. This is, of course, a collaborative process. We cannot frame our ambitions, let alone deliver them, without the help of others who play their part in the creative life of England.
“In formally announcing the consultation stage of this project today I am asking for your help. Please make sure your voice is heard when we set these priorities.”
In his address, Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the RSA will say:
"Whatever happens in politics, the coming period is going to be tough for publicly funded arts provision. The sector needs to make the best case for its importance to society and the economy. This means being open, realistic and self critical. This conference will encourage that kind of thinking. It could not be more timely."
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