Organic Shape 13.1 - John Swogger, 2010 (digital)
The Arts Manifesto produced by the National Campaign for the Arts has a Facebook presence – become a fan and show your support. The manifesto is a great rallying point for the future of the arts, and explains why the arts are valuable to the country, and why they should be supported.
Great. But the Manifesto – like so much focus – is on the arts, not on artists. I have always argued that engagement with art begins with engagement with artists. What’s worrying about so much of the energy being put into the current defense of the arts (and arts funding) is that its aimed at this vague entity known as “the arts”. But “the arts” is nothing without the people who make it possible – artists.
Surely, in arguing that there is social and cultural value in the arts, there should be an equally robust argument that there is social and cultural value in artists. In fact, I would suggest that a significant portion of arts funding should be directed towards the long-term funding of individuals rather than organisations; artists as living practitioners are far more inspiring.
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