Organisations and the Individual
How can Artists and Strategists Collaborate?
There comes a time in the life of a Cultural Strategy when in order to implement
it, artists have to be used. I would like to talk about how small groups of
artists and individual artists can be included in strategic thinking and how
the artists and politicians interface could be built into the thinking.
The question is:
- How can we balance the needs of the artists
- With the requirements of the strategist
- For the benefit of the public
- With a legacy for the future?
Firstly, let us acknowledge how hard it is for an organisation to deal with
an individual. It is also very hard for the individual to deal with organisations.
- The language is different.
- The ethos is different.
- The expected outcomes are different.
- Indeed, our new mayor has direct experience of some of these difficulties
This gap may be closed by consulting with artists at the beginning of the
process and throughout the processes development – which in turn will lead
to the strategy group being equipped to shape an effective arts committee.
Secondly, the strategists need to be informed as to what they are dealing
with. In an analysis I have recently completed for United Arts Village I
examined 31 borough or county policies. Some of the identified problems
were
- Lack of appreciation by the Council of the value of the arts'
- Lack of co-ordination across the Council on art issues
- No enough support from other Council Directorates and Council members
- An across-the-board information spread is indicated here.
Fourthly, the possibility of creative opportunities should be fostered.
Artists are highly trained in the great intellectual and aesthetic traditions
of Europe and World practice and want to make work that develops and builds
on this. Within the politicians’ remit for inclusion, room can be made to
explore the elements that shape individual artists practice. In this way
a genuine legacy can be created.
Fifthly, in order to create a level playing field, active financial equality
in partnership is needed. In my home Borough of Greenwich,
- 27.6% of the artists live on state benefits
- 7.8% are supported by partners or parents
- 7.1% have part-time jobs
- 9.4% have full-time jobs
- 25.6% are teachers and lecturer’s 22.4% have arts-related incomes.
The artist is a professional worker and this should be reflected in the financial
relationship with the strategists.
By now, we all know the value of the arts to our localities. Just look
around Avignon if you are not convinced!
In London, each borough is in competition with the others to maximise
their arts agendas. Both locally and across London the organisations and
the artists need to work at it.
The Mayor completes his consultation at the end of November…we have high
hopes that a REAL partnership agenda will emerge that will be robust enough
to serve the artist, the strategist and most importantly – the public.
Vanilla Beer, Avignon, July 2000
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