Cultural metropolis

London’s status as the centre of global finance may have taken a knock, but its role as a cultural metropolis is stronger than ever. Many of the world’s finest writers, theatre directors, musicians, choreographers and visual artists choose to live and work in the capital, as do 90,000 students from almost every country on Earth. We have four UNESCO world heritage sites, 400 music venues, more museums than Paris and more major theatres than New York. Seven out of ten tourists cite culture as a reason for visiting. London’s status as a cultural capital benefits the whole of the UK. It is a gateway for UK tourism, its creative sector makes a significant contribution to the economy and its cultural attractions are enjoyed by people from across the country. This is why Mayor Boris Johnson, alongside Kevin Spacey, Artistic Director of the Old Vic Theatre, says that it is vital to maintain public and private spending on cultural activity in London during the downturn.
 

MELTING POT

The vitality of the UK cultural sector is partly a result of its unique funding mix. The Battersea Arts Centre, the Roundhouse in Camden and Tate Modern are amongst the many organisations in London that thrive on a mixture of philanthropy, sponsorship, local and national government support, and earned income. Public subsidy of higher education has nurtured talented art, design and architecture graduates who have gone on to commercial success, with business clients or support from private collectors. This intricate web of financial assistance has started to fray in recent months. We know that business sponsorship of the arts and culture is down by 7% and corporate hire (a major income stream for larger institutions) has declined. Local authorities are under similar pressures. At least individual giving is holding relatively steady, and box office income is buoyant – people are craving uplifting cultural experiences.

Of course, we need to be realistic. Everyone is looking at their budgets and searching for savings. Cultural professionals will need to be even more entrepreneurial and look for ways to stretch their resources. There is even greater incentive for similar organisations to work together in more efficient and effective partnerships. We also need to find greater efficiencies in arts bureaucracy, and streamline the multiplicity of initiatives. Inevitably, there is an incentive for cultural organisations to be pragmatic and argue their case in terms of the boxes they can tick for business and local government. Cultural organisations will find it easier to get corporate funding for safe blockbuster exhibitions, or persuade councils to fund programmes that address social problems. Culture can be an effective way to help deliver these diverse priorities.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

But funders themselves need to think long term and not just judge by immediate impact or go for the eye-catching initiative. An experimental piece of theatre, which has a small audience but breaks new ground, has its own value. Likewise, funding high quality instrumental tuition for young people in small groups will be more expensive than funding large events and one-off initiatives that get lots of publicity, but it is vital to train the musicians of the future. We need to make the case for supporting a strong, long- term cultural infrastructure that treats culture as a thing of value in itself, not just in terms of immediate social and economic impacts. Transport, education, health and energy all contribute to the long-term success of the nation, so does culture.

The Mayor’s Office is providing capital funding for world-class cultural facilities, such as £5m for the British Film Institute’s new centre on the South Bank, and a variety of festivals and public realm improvements throughout the city. We are making culture more accessible through longer-term initiatives like the Londoner’s Culture Card, and investing in the development of the workforce through the 2012 Cultural Skills Fund. We also endorse the work of the London Cultural Improvement Programme, led by London Councils and Capital Ambition, which is already beginning to improve local cultural services and increase efficiency. Most importantly, we are making the case for culture for London and nationally. There are tough choices ahead, but it is important for those who control the purse strings in the public and private sectors to understand the enormous value that culture adds to our lives now and in the future.