The contribution of the arts is nationwide
Images of hard-hatted, hi-viz jacketed Government ministers in factories and industrial sites are commonplace. But. asks Nick Jones, how often are they seen at a gallery, play or concert?
THE RELATIONSHIP between artists and their patrons is often tense. Not surprising given that creativity demands breaking rules, exploring new expression, thinking the unthinkable. All anathema to any form of bureaucratic control, patronage, or financial support, which always comes with strings, or even ropes.
One thing is sacred; artistic freedom and independence. So it’s no wonder there are occasional ructions like the current one involving London’s Wigmore Hall, the Arts Council England, and what ACE’s CEO, Darren Henley, describes as London-centric media coverage.
It was ever thus, given that talent, money, audiences and venues all tend to gravitate to and concentrate in cities, helping to give places like London and Edinburgh international cultural significance.
So any suggestion that there should be a level playing field, and equitable distribution of funds, is unrealistic.
Agreed, Londoners with time, money and a cultural bent are privileged and spoilt by the choice, range and quality on offer, especially when it comes to opera and live classical music.
For many, living out in the sticks, the time and cost involved in travelling to a city, staying overnight and getting fed and watered can be prohibitive.
But big and high profile does not necessarily make for a better, higher quality experience, just a different one.
Up and down the country artists, musicians, actors and writers are busy appearing at festivals and in small towns and villages offering a wonderful choice of programme, often at no or low cost, less travel hassle, no queuing for tickets, no time-slots, nobody taking selfies or blocking your view, free refreshments, and even a chance to meet the stars of the show afterwards.
It’s worrying when our political masters appear to dismiss, downplay, or deny the huge contribution culture can make not just to the economy but to quality of life; without culture we’re less human.
Images of hard-hatted, hi-viz jacketed Government Ministers in factories and industrial sites are commonplace. But how often are they seen at a gallery, play or concert?
Much more concerning is when wannabe dictators try to muzzle or mould culture as a tool of their authoritarian regimes, like the rogues and charlatans behind the “Entartate Kunst” programme in Nazi Germany and the “Zhdanov Doctrine” in Stalin’s Russia.
All claim to have national interest as justification, as Donald Trump did recently with regard to the management and programming of the Kennedy Centre, saying “I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
Feeling a bit down after reading this? Luckily these characters are on a hiding to nothing. You can’t keep a good artist down; that’s the nature and beauty of creativity. So put on your dancing shoes and listen to Tahiti Trot, better known as Tea for Two.
Wondering who composed that and when? Shostakovich, 1927!
