Comment: Culture in crisis - how bad is it going to get?
10-15 mins read time
It’s rough going right now for arts and culture isn’t it? I decided it was about time that I brought back my soapbox, because it’s been a while and well, there’s alot to comment on right now!
What I write below isn’t a rant, it’s observation and experience based. Importantly, I’m hopeful. Always have been but it’s hard to hang on to that when I come face to face with the realities of the arts right now.
This piece features some provocative thoughts and (I hope) some interesting solutions… please do read on 😃
Lets not mess about, I’m starting with… it’s all political
Needless to say, the place to start is with all of the latest news about cuts, cuts and more cuts aka politics.
The cultural sector in the UK, vital to the vibrancy and diversity of any country's social fabric, faces unprecedented challenges that threaten its existence. We all know that and we’re now feeling the raw end of that. Recent developments, here in the Midlands region such as Birmingham and Nottingham City Councils' drastic cuts to culture—with Birmingham inducing a staggering 100% reduction. This poses existential threats to local arts and culture ecosystems. It has been widely reported and written about - many brilliant colleagues continue to make the case and fight the fight for what we believe in. Which is: that culture fundamentally changes lives. Arguably, it is our lives. These decisions not only undermine the arts' economic contributions but also their invaluable role in community building, education, and personal development along with a myriad of many other benefits, impacts, justices, stories, entertainment. And well, because without culture, life would be very dull indeed.
My experience of what it’s like - out there in the midst of the sector, behind the frontline
An example I’ll draw from is from my consultancy practice, where in the latter 6 months of 2023 I led an action learning set for the Culture Central CCG legacy development programme, a programme developed as part of the follow-up activities and support for Birmingham’s arts ecology, post-Commonwealth Games.
I had the privilege to witness firsthand the transformative power of targeted support for artists and small arts/cultural organisations. There were 7 organisations in my set, each with a different ‘challenge’, provocation or workplace difficulty to work through. This ranged from capacity building and sourcing residual income through to director recruitment, issues of trust and mental blocks. The initial findings from Dr. Claire French, the CCG Legacy Development Evaluator, illuminate the profound impact such programmes can have. Participants experienced significant personal growth, which translated into professional and organisational development. All of which I think underscores the critical role of nurturing individual talent within the broader cultural ecosystem.
I see this almost daily.
In my current role as Advisor on Roundhouse Works’ Self Made Programme, where I meet creatives for a brief 45 minutes, they have have told me how impactful just having someone to talk to is. This further demonstrates the power of bespoke, reactive (as in, in that moment) and individualised support for artists and the companies they run.
My experience in this field, highlights the importance of individual as well as community-centered approaches in addressing the sector's challenges (more on that later). The non-judgemental space maintained throughout (in particular) the action learning set process - which is amazing btw - facilitates honest, productive dialogues and catalyses remarkable transformations for some. This tailored approach, especially suited to artists, proved to be a potent catalyst for both personal and professional metamorphosis.
All good things come to an end
However, as brilliant as that programme was, sadly as with almost all projects, it did come to an end. But the learning remains and I have found that it’s most often the personal breakthroughs, that happen often on a micro or even macro level, are what enable people to see new perspectives, zoom out to see the big picture or crack a particular problem they’re facing. However small or mighty.
Sadly though, these success stories exist against a backdrop of widespread hardship within the sector. So, it feels hard to even call them a success. My work with independent artists and a host of different size organisations reveal a grim reality…
Mental health challenges are rampant
‘Bread and butter’ work is difficult to secure
Creative practice is challenging to monetise - knowing how or where to start is the missing link
Earnings remain dishearteningly low
Competition for opportunities and funding is fierce - the latest I heard is that ACE’s under £30k project grants are 500% oversubscribed. Wow.
It is difficult to achieve a sustainable work-life balance
Isolation is very, very real
So is impostor syndrome
Echo chambers aren’t helpful
Knowing how to build a creative business isn’t taught anywhere and then finding support to do so is hard - the lack of teaching around employability is generally poor. Although some institutions are genuinely trying!
Gatekeeping persists. Yes, there is still ALOT of gatekeeping, sometimes unwittingly but sometimes, intentional.
Our whole sector is political. Funding decisions including where the money goes is. The politics of identity is.
Oh. AND WHY DOES NO ONE REPLY TO ANY BLOODY EMAILS NOWADAYS?!
None of this is new. Nor does it speak to all the major stuff wrong with this sector: which underpins the above and that the pandemic ripped the plaster off of.
For a while we have been saying that things have shifted, yet it’s really difficult to have a grasp on what has shifted. After the pandemic we moved into hybrid and remote ways of working. This article really clearly shows, thanks to Kings College London, that the data backs this up. Then, there’s also this article that really articulately describes being ‘sold the dream’ as an artist, when we all know the reality, is, well. You know.
There has not been a collective sense of what is okay. It feels like me and others sector wide are actively trying to be inclusive and put care into our leadership. There are no frameworks for these new ways of working, no blueprints, no how-to guides. Individuals are trying to do their best. We have a new best, working with the old best. The broken system: well, that consists of:
the ‘who you know’ thing
the ‘if you know how’ thing
the ‘playing the system’ thing
the deeply ingrained injustices, ableism, discrimination, bias, privilege and racism. That’s another blog.
The change we keep talking about
So. Change is coming, yeah?
These observations underscore a pressing need for systemic change. Which we all know. And we want to do something about that. This topic keeps coming up time and again in my circles. We all keep talking about it, but how? While targeted programmes like what Culture Central previously offered, the plethora of support, training and programmes that are out there (if you know where to look of course - there are webinars, courses, online resources, programmes of support everywhere), these all offer valuable support, BUT they only represent part of the solution. A broader, more comprehensive strategy is required—one that addresses the root causes of the sector's vulnerabilities and fosters a more inclusive, equitable cultural landscape.
In light of the many ongoing threats to the arts, the sector must rally together, advocating for policies that recognise the arts' multifaceted value, yes—not just as an economic driver, but as a cornerstone of our collective humanity. We need to speak a new language. We need to be the change, not just speak it. Actively find new ways of doing our thing. And find new money. Can we find strands and commonalities and ways to move forward? What are the solutions and resources we have, even if they are not fully formed yet?
More about how. And crucially, why?
Okay so slight tangent here on the how, but bear with me. In my work, I often encounter folks who know their ‘what’. That is most often, the ‘thing’ that they do and the way that they do it. Aka the work they make or service they provide. But rarely and indulge me for going deep here for a second, few folks actually know their WHY which is what sits firmly behind EVERYTHING they do… the where, the who and including the HOW all come afterwards.
So how do we (by that I mean, you) discover the why?
Experience points me to one answer: doing the deeply personal work. It keeps coming up with my clients. Start with Why by Simon Sinek is great to starting point to understand your why but moreover, it requires a real deep dive below the surface - some self-inquiry and self-discovery. Which is sometimes painful, sometimes illuminating. Often the hardest thing to do and the last thing on anyone’s priority list. But if someone like Steven Bartlett can do it (and look at his success = mindset), then maybe we should learn something from that? It’s hard because none of us were taught to hold a mirror up and look at what’s beneath. But it really matters. It matters because if we can figure that out, we can understand how to change the conditions around us, and, so much more. Tunnel to funnel in our thinking.
Back to how to change the *world* I mean, arts sector…
It is happening in pockets. I’m lucky because I see it and I’m party to it happening. I facilitate many an exciting conversation or away day or meeting about how to lead differently, I support groups of creatives to self-organise, I support people to turn power structures upside down, and help people unlock new ways of doing and new ways of being.
I genuinely believe the power does lie in our hands - the people of the sector. The workers, if you will. I don’t think anyone is going to do it for us. It’s down to us to create better conditions for ourselves, to speak up, barge in and take a seat at the (power) table, to influence and advocate for change and to find the words to make the case for our work (also: get better at data, numbers don’t lie).
In my co-leadership of Propel Dance: we’re creating a new blueprint for dance touring companies. No one has ever toured a full wheelchair company before - the old rules don’t work. Venues need reminding of what access really means. We’re rewriting what touring is.
In my strategic support & critical friendship with Impelo: I’m helping them see the opportunities that are arising when something major, like a significant 100% funding cut happens. A new business plan yes, that is certainly required but ways in which the organisation can develop their profoundly impactful work, with integrity, care and values at the centre. Deepening hearing their dance artists. It is rapidly evolving into something different and arguably more beautiful than before. They’re exploring ways to really hear their, include and be led the dance community in Powys. They’re also embracing the icky vulnerable place, in order to show up in ways they never imagined or were able to (with regular funding) before. And, low and behold, they’re now free from the shackles of regular funding and are able to fundraise more widely.
In my consultancy work with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council: I’m working with 20 artists & arts organisations to achieve something they hadn’t before. That looks radically different for each and every individual but for most, starting with why has had major effects, and the best is yet to come.
In my research for Coventry University: I’m talking with artists and stakeholders across the city about the proposed Cultural Gateway. Enlightening, heartening and insightful chats looking at community engagement with the new building, but far wider than that… ways of doing, inclusion, relevance, modelling, cultural democracy, experimentation, exploring & testing, shared ownership, listening and actioning, and, accountability.
That is just a few examples. There’s much more and I am pleased to be part of it. But it’s going to take a movement - a seismic shift to take place for us to see real change.
Here’s a bone of contention: I don’t think universal income for artists will work (which you can debate me on, but right now, this blog is getting too long!). What is clear is that the systems that hold together our industry are shattered. They can’t be relied on. It’s on us to create new systems, new types of collectives, to self organise, to take shared ownership, how ourselves accountable and develop new work models. To co-create & co-design. To join (or create) citizen’s or maybe they should be called ‘artists’ or creative assemblies - it’s happening across the country: Coventry is a good example. To join an alliance or cooperative.
Final thought
As we look to the future, it's clear that the resilience and creativity inherent to our brilliant arts & cultural sector will be crucial in navigating the road ahead. We can begin to rebuild a more robust and sustainable cultural ecosystem. One that not only survives the current crisis but thrives in the face of future challenges - who’s with me?
Can we work together to dream about a new future? Can I help you unlock something new?
You can get in touch with me on hello@amydaltonhardy.co.uk please do get in touch.