Who gets to walk through the door – and if it is you, are you holding it open or letting it swing shut?
** Disclaimer ** I know there are some amazing organisations out there doing great things, and this might seem like a divisive blog post! I promise it isn’t. I hope, on the whole, we are all here because we value art, artists and expression! If we work together and with purpose, we can reimagine a better creative ecology! But it NEEDS to be together, walking side by side!
Setting the Scene: inequity & power
I have been thinking a lot about the different areas of inequity in our sector recently – from my work with Global Majority colleagues in the North East to try and shift the balance, from my work across NECF and the conversations both in and out of the region about the workforce and the power imbalance, and the terrible rhetoric being presented around the decision from our current government to slash benefits to disabled people – creating a hostile environment for people who rely on those benefits to survive, and affecting many disabled artists; as well as the continuously growing racist and anti-immigration rhetoric which is plaguing our communities and the anti-Trans rhetoric which is dominating headlines this week.
This is all against a backdrop of growth agenda, NPO extension until 2028 – which in turn means no opportunity for addition (or diversification) to the portfolio; a curriculum review which is stating support for creative arts in education whilst not providing the mechanism to do so; and the Arts Council Review, which seems to be focused on the voices of organisations (at least in the face to face aspects).
Who is in the room when decisions are made?
So, when decisions are made in relation to communities, who is making them? Who’s voices are part of the discussion and how are they balanced and representative of our communities? And how is equity nurtured?
In the cultural sector, like the reflection of society overall, the decisions are so often made by those who are removed from the challenges of the workforce and the majority of communities in the North East – especially poorer/strategically undervalued communities. Whether those decision makers are at the helm of organisations, or responsible for the funding decisions or policy.
It is always wild to me that we work in a sector built on storytelling, shared experience and meaning making. That we come from a region which gave us the Pitmen Painters, both the people and the play. That we are, historically, a socialist region which has played a significant role in the equalising of power and the fight for workers’ rights, with some of the earliest Labour movements emerging from the North East. The 1765 Great North Coalfield Miners Strike is one of the first recognised organised movements.
And yet, in a region like ours, and in a sector like ours, the majority of power in our cultural ecology is still held by people who appear to value buildings over art, the number of jobs over the quality of jobs, productivity of life over quality of life, and the art and opinions of those outside the region over the talent we have here. All while telling stories of community struggle more often than stories of community joy.
When communities lead, joy follows
It was really pushed home to me recenly when I went to the best school event my children’s school had ever put on. The school my children go to is around 58% EAL (English as an Additional Language) and sits in an area with the highest indices of deprivation. The event was a celebration of their newly acquired status as the first School of Sanctuary in Gateshead. The celebration was led by the children and their families – with people sharing culture through singing, dancing, music and food. It was the best and most joyful celebration of our school community I have ever seen or ever been to. Why? Because it was a celebration of our whole community AND it was led by the young people themselves, alongside parents and teachers. Young people had choreographed dances together, they had chosen songs and created music together, they walked us through the school community together, in a way we have never trod before. The power of the stories that were shared was in the hands of the children, and it was brilliant. The children are part of the leadership in the school, being embedded through peer leadership, governance and community, and this event really showed it.
Putting artists back at the heart of the ecology
In reflection, this is equally as important in our sector – we need to make sure that artists and creatives are at the heart of the development of creative and cultural industrial strategies and production – nationally and locally! Yes, there should be space for organisers, managers and producers too – they are also essential - but we need to make sure that artists (and artists who are representative of, and connected to, our diverse communities) are at the heart of what we are prioritising as a region. We should be championing and investing in artist led platforms and opportunities, invest in artist development, more funding should be available for the creation of art that is innovative, boundary breaking and authentic storytelling, and venues should be prioritising giving over of their spaces to local communities and artists (with budgets attached) to animate and fill with joy, creative expression and authentic storytelling – without being scared of the outcomes or be bound by the audience numbers it might bring in.
Holding the Door Open: A call to organisational leaders
I know how hard things are at the moment for organisations – with funding not going as far as it did previously! But in the discussions around Arts Council England DCMS review, it has really driven home to me the need to do things differently. Rather than protecting the status quo, maybe we could be the region to harness our socialist and changemaking history and be the first to trial new ways of engaging with artists, communities and audiences. Maybe we could be the region who looks at the cultural ecology and says, do you know what, this just doesn’t work for us anymore. Let’s think about what we need to leave behind to protect the creative expression of our people! Maybe the heads of our organisations and institutions could take a moment to reflect on their privilege – inside their organisations and outside – and facilitate a relationship with more freelancers and strategically undervalued people in the strategic conversations…again both inside and outside of their organisation!
If you’re invited to a meeting to discuss industry policy and progression, who could you take with you and how will you make sure they are empowered in the space? How can you work with organisations such as NECF and the many other organisations, individuals and collectives, who are striving for a better future for our region and nation! Maybe you could be the ones holding the doors open for all the freelance, independent and diverse creatives in the region! I work with many of them on a daily basis and I can confirm, they are brilliant and more than capable to be part of the discussion!
What can organisational leads do?
Recognise your privilege – by understanding and recognising our privilege, we are able to work with it to support others!
Get a mentor – a community/freelance creative mentor! (contact NECF - we can support you in finding the right mentor for your organisation/circumstance. Please bear in mind you will need a budget to pay for mentor time)
Open up the conversation and be prepared for the challenge!
Publish your organisational strategy, especially your required outputs for public funding e.g. NPO, NECA Funding etc. Transparency goes a long way to help us move forward together.
Hold the Door Open, move out of the way, sit on your hands, shut your mouth! However you want to describe it! Lead by creating safety for others to speak.
Put people at the centre of your work – artists, your workforce, communities, audiences – they are the ones who make up the ecology!
Listen, like really, truly and deeply listen!
If you an organisational lead and want to review your freelancer policies and practice, please get in touch. We have built an offer of support which can be bespoke to your organisational needs and budgets.
