The Ikon Gallery's dream of a new museum for international contemporary art in Birmingham was welcomed by Arts Council Chair Liz Forgan at the Ikon annual dinner last night.
Speaking in Birmingham - which she described as 'such a great and welcoming city' - she said we will do our utmost to support Ikon in planning a new contemporary art museum. She offered suggestions for help, including the possibility of creating an international art collection that could be shared across the nation.
'A cultural powerhouse'
The Ikon Gallery, housed in a neo-Gothic former school, with off-site and education programmes, receives core funding from Arts Council England, West Midlands and Birmingham City Council. According to Liz, it is a gallery that knows how to reach out to all kinds of audiences and is a significant cultural powerhouse right across the West Midlands and beyond.
Aspirations and regeneration
Liz talked about Birmingham's reputation for innovation and creativity, saying it is a city 'fizzing with ambition and passion.' She asked:
'Why does one city embrace regeneration and put culture at the heart of their agenda, as you have done, while others appear to have changed little in several decades?
'What is it that creates that difference in aspirations among leaders of the places in which we live? Why do some local authorities place a much higher value on the arts and creating vibrant communities than others?'
Visionary change in Birmingham's DNA
She continued, 'I do think that the heritage of people and cities affects the way they develop and Birmingham has visionary change in its DNA. And what's more I think that cities which honour their heritage without sinking into nostalgia or prissiness tend to be the ones who get the point of contemporary culture as a key to thriving communities too.'
'The great hoo ha of 2007'
She also talked about the 'great hoo ha of the Christmas 2007 spending decisions'. It was a traumatic experience for the Arts Council and for many of our clients, she said, and made everyone ask fundamental questions about the way we did things.
'The result has been radical change,' she told her audience. 'Today we are an organisation determined to forge a new ethos which is accountable, consultative, open and transparent, with a real mandate to champion the arts and a strategic view of priorities.
'We're looking at how the Arts Council can be an intelligent funder for the future working with you, and for you.'
You can download Liz Forgan's speech here.
