Hidden behind all the glitter of support to lottery-funded galleries is the sobering data that many crucial artists’ organisations have been either cut entirely or have suffered mortal reductions in funding.
Who cares about artists you may ask - there are plenty of them and they always go on working regardless of arts funding?
But do we really want the creators without whom there is no contemporary visual art to be treated in this way? The livelihoods of visual artists, photographers, crafts and applied artists will all suffer and also the communities and audiences artists themselves make for their work and practices..
There an ethical and moral issue here - surely ACE should be investing in the critical mass of creators to ensure the high quality visual arts of the future?
And how exactly will the big visual arts institutions show their support for artists and Good practice principles? Will they be designating clear budget lines to fees and payments for exhibitions and commissions and using even-handed contracts.
More importantly - what about the artists in their location who are not yet on their exhibition radar? Will they be employing them to run interpretation programmes, providing them with informal and formal critique and professional development opportunities? Or will they be relying on interns, free services and artists’ good will?
a-n says these ACE cuts will severely damage artists’ initiatives in England, impacting on the livelihood of artists and future vitality and sustainability of the visual arts. The visual arts is artists.
Susan Jones, Director of Programmes at a-n, the Artists Information Company
Susan.jones@a-n.co.uk