Ok so its Election year and after some hugely disasterous decisions by New Labour, MPs and our allies it seems everyone is sick and tired of the current Government. The populist newspapers such as The Sun are now backing the Conservative Party for the June Ballots and the question is what is going to happen to the Theatre after this change?
Lets not get into Conservatives vs Labour because when it comes to the theatre industry they are both a massive problem. In fact its not specifically the parties it is the policies they hold and decisions they have made towards the arts. In recent years arts funding has been slashed more and more to siphon that money off for building and hosting the 2012 Olympic Games. Now I am not going to argue that having a well funded theatre industry is more important than one Olympic Games but I am going to say that the reassignment of those funds were wrong. Olympics will bring a lot of business to the UK and thats a good thing for our economy, which I believe everyone will agree is something we should all look forward to in the current climate, but surely some of those people who come for the Olympics will want to experience the best in the West End in 2012 so must we really cut funding that could feed the industry with newer and more contemporary shows? It's no good asking that question now because it has already happened and its a real shame. Less funding means less artists can explore work and develop new cultural events for this country, why can't we present an advert for why the UK of the 21st Century is still a leader in art and culture? The closing ceremony for Beijing 2008 was a great start with the folding bus but I felt it focused too much on the past. We need to show that the UK is more than the music of the Beatles because the organisers are probably going to ask Paul McCartney to be involved somewhere or Brian May will be asked to play his awful version of God Save the Queen atop the massive Olympic Stadium. We need to show how multicultural the UK really is now and get a better dance troupe than the one we had for the closing ceremony at Beijing. However with nobody seemingly caring about the arts in this country I doubt any fantastic artists would get a look in, they probably cannot afford the rehearsal space. Most likely we are going to parade old Rock stars like McCartney, Jagger, Ozzy and co out there as Diversity dance one of their great pieces to an utter feeling of deflation. The UK has a lot riding on the Olympics so yes by all means get as much money together as possible because its an opportunity but the opening ceremony will probably be one of our only chances to shine in 2012 so make sure you spend the money to make it worthwhile.
Then there was the news at the beginning of December of Alistair Darlings pre budget cuts in which he announced the 'streamlining' of goverment Quangos but mainly focusing on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This has resulted in, or will, the reduction of bodies in these industries. For example the UK Film Council will lose 20% of its staff due to being absorbed into the BFI and then there is the one that has appalled me the most. Arts Council England is undergoing an review which will mean it is streamlined of 21% of its staff and make £6.6 million pounds in savings, where that money will go is not known but I expect it will never be invested in cultural projects. Other areas that will be hit are the advisory council on Libraries, the advisory panel for the Government Art Collection and sadly the Theatres Trust. If the Theatres Trust loses a lot of support it could spell disaster in the next 10 years for struggling venues of historical and artistic importance.
This is PRE Budget so Lord knows what Darling will do with funding for the Arts Council if he can get his grubby little hands on it. I find it very disheartening especially as New Labour championed the arts for so long that they would turn their backs on it so coldly and quickly is very upsetting. If they can cut funding for our cultural identity to apparently fund better education, for example, then what is the point? Where does this cycle end? As it is we have young people who have no concept of the English language and its beauty, instead they write in text speak, they can barely read and they do not know who the great artist Turner is. So Mr Ed Balls you give every child a private tutor but you shut down say 20% of our Libraries, sell off our art works (wait for it to happen since the Conservatives already sold anything practical off 20 years ago) and stop supporting local theatres and endangered venues so where does that leave those kids? Where are the books for the really poor kids, the access to art works that can only be truly appreciated when seen by your own eyes and the events that can truly help a childs mental and educational development by cancelling theatre trips? What is the point in education when we have no cultural identity to pass on to them? I just think this is insanity.
Maybe you think I am seeing something here that is not defined, and you are right that it probably won't happen but the truth is I would not be surprised if it did. It just makes me feel like I have to now redefine myself again. As it is this current government has lied to me regarding my education, I have a degree thanks to New Labour making it easier for working class people to go to University, they said I would get a better job by doing a degree but what do I find? Nobody wants to hire someone with a degree, I would have been better off getting a job straight out of school than going to Uni. Now as a performer/writer/director who is interested in developing new work and creating it will be even harder than ever to access funding. As it is there are many people in power or in positions of great wealth and influence who believe that an artist has to struggle to be able to work. Not true at all, in the past there have been instances where that has been true but to paint all artistic people with the same brush makes us all look like we cannot really be bothered and are just holding out begging bowls to con people out of money. Each year we lose more and more writers, poets, playwrights, actors, artists and musicians to 'proper' jobs because they cannot live off pittances. I am not saying we should all be given money but at least having a fund there for us to apply for help from makes it easier for those artists who don't wish to starve.
Now we come to Labour, Gordon Brown is probably going and so will that style of government and more social form of politics for the next decade as we re-enter the era of Conservatism. Under New Labour we never had it so good, they wanted to be part of our arts scene, they wanted to support us financially and celebrate in our successes as successes for the whole country. Now the recession is here and we are bleeding money as a country whilst your average worker is paying massive taxes so the Government is looking to grab whatever pots of money they can to try and fix the cracks. Its the last act of a desperate cabinet which is obvious and unfortuanately it means we are in the last few months of a golden age of arts funding. I do not totally blame Labour for panicking and removing the funding when we are in a recession after all we all need to pull together but what happens for the next 10 years as smaller venues shut, smaller acts and companies fold? Are we just going to be left with American made shows on our stages apart from when Angels get involved? They are selling our culture down the river and its sad to see.
What of the future? What will happen when Cameron and his cronies finally reach Number 10? Well the companies that work efficiently and with business minds will thrive as the conservatives generally love people who make themselves successful. Those of us who need capital to get a start for our work well we will be screwed... or will we? Recently Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been talking about how the Conservative government will support the arts funding organisations. Not a very Tory thing to do really is it? No he has even promised that arts funding will continue under the Tories with them putting Lottery money into the fund pot. He has of course echoed the words of Darling regarding the organisations saying they need to be made more cost effective. Promising all this is very well and good but will David Cameron listen to his minsters on this aspect? He claims he is a New Conservative and represents a change in the party, something we heard in 96 from good ol' Tony Blair in reference to Labour. I don't think I can honestly trust the words of Hunt as the Conservatives have always cut public spending on everything and don't believe the arts are really that important. If that happened most funding organisations would just cease to exist.
To conclude, last week I declared that there was a Golden Age of theatre on the horizon, well its still there but there is also a black wilderness there now. Its possible that Golden Age could continue especially if the promises of Jeremy Hunt come to fruition or even if Labour somehow manage to slay Cameron in the election, but I believe its more that likely now that the UK arts scene is looking towards a dark time that we may have to ride out, sit tight and just try our best to survive. Once we reach the otherside we need to show the World that England is one of the greatest cultural nations still. We also cannot lose hope in the event of funding becoming increasingly rarer, we must approach the fight to get our work made even harder and make sure that there is still a healthy alternative theatre and arts culture intact after the dark days. The future of Englands Culture is currently hanging in the balance, lets just hope the fallout from the Election doesn't knock it over the edge and into an abyss.
Still hopeful and optimistic as ever.
Xtofer
