Your opportunity to tell us what you think
What will the world look like in 2021? Some things we know: a generation of digital natives will dominate the creative arts; climate change will be central to all our thinking; the demographic composition of Britain – its artists and its audiences – will continue evolving; and the fallout from the recession of 2009 will still be felt in both private and public sectors. Life – and art – will be different.
We cannot tell exactly what else the next decade has in store, but the Arts Council must make intelligent assumptions about the context in which we will operate – and I recommend to you the research we have done to inform our thinking. If we are to succeed in supporting art and artists, creativity and excellence, we must identify the key long-term goals that drive our decision-making, our investment priorities and our relationships with artists and audiences.
The process began three years ago with the arts debate, a research project involving over 1,500 individuals and organisations. Launched in October 2006 and published in March 2008, the results reveal a rich range of thinking about why the arts matter. They also highlight the importance of quality and innovation, the barriers to participation and the challenges and opportunities for the future. The discussions that followed shaped our plan, Great art for everyone 2008–2011, with its focus on excellence, innovation, diversity, engagement and reach. This consultation picks up where that debate left off.
I believe the Arts Council has a duty to set out some clear strategic ambitions so that everyone can see what we stand for and how we expect to be judged as stewards of public investment. But, as with the arts debate, consultation is crucial. We cannot frame or act upon our own ambitions without the input of the artists, arts organisations and the partners we work with, who share our passion for the creative life of England.
Drawing deeply from what we learn in this consultation, later in 2010 we will set out a 10-year strategic framework. This will contain our long-term goals and ambitions for each artform, as well as new ways of working with those we fund. It will also form the basis for our next investment plan, also to be published later in the year. As well as concentrating our own energies, this framework will provide a focal point for partners who deal with us, and build further on the remarkable achievements in the arts in recent years.
Life does not always go according to plan, of course. In fact, art almost never does. That’s why our framework is conceived as just that – a framework within which things we never anticipated will take place at speeds we may have often misjudged. Nevertheless, we think it is a process worth attempting to get right, and as you read this consultation paper we hope you will recognise and endorse much of our thinking so far. But please understand, it is a work in progress – your contribution is not just welcome, it is essential.
Liz Forgan
Chair, Arts Council England
