Visual arts face serious challenges

With echoes of earlier research, a new report into the impact of Brexit on the visual arts, makes for a sobering read. Early last year, a-n The Artists Information Company and the Contemporary Visual Arts Network England (CVAN) commissioned BOP Consulting to investigate how visual arts workers have been affected by the post-Brexit regulations redefining our interactions with Europe. 

Based on interviews with 25 visual artists and visual arts professionals, International Connections: The impact of the UK departure from the European Union on the Visual Arts Sector highlights problems ranging from increased shipping costs to the loss of access to European networks and development opportunities. 

Julie Lomax, a-n The Artists Information Company’s CEO says “International working is back and we are all benefiting – as evidenced with a-n member Sonia Boyce winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and six UK artists being selected for the Lyon Biennale.  

“This is a testament to the high quality of UK artists and their work, and the resilience of UK arts organisations navigating the obstacles that are documented in this report. Imagine what we could do with a little help. Let’s make it easier for our artists and arts organisations to work internationally so that they can continue to benefit me, you and the UK.”

Artists and galleries have taken a big financial hit

The average loss of income for a visual arts worker during the pandemic was just over £7,000. This financial hit has been compounded by trade between the UK and EU no longer being subject to the freedom of movement of goods. As Harry Beer of The Sunday Painter – a commercial gallery representing 12 artists – says, “It’s at least 20% more expensive to ship”. In addition, our sector has to manage a complex set of post-Brexit procedures governing EU trading. 

Moving artworks to and from the EU has become complicated and costly. Artists and galleries have the unenviable task of choosing between losing some of their competitive edge in the EU market by increasing their prices to cover increased costs or absorbing these new expenses and have their profit margins squeezed. Existing guidance on the new procedures and costs of importing and exporting goods fails to accurately reflect the processes visual arts organisations now have to manage. 

The experience of Hollybush Gardens, which represents international artists including Turner Prize winner, Lubaina Himid, provides a good example of the new financial and administrative burden on small arts organisations. The gallery’s co-owner, Lisa Panting says: “It’s easier when you have x million in turnover, and you can go to an expensive tax lawyer. It’s harder when you are a small to medium operation.” 

For the first time, Hollybush Gardens is expecting to have to consider where visual artists and artworks are based when shaping their exhibition programme. In December 2019, the gallery sent a lot of artworks back to the EU to ensure their EU-based artists wouldn’t be faced with huge costs of re-importing their artworks in the future. This resulted in a reduction of stock the gallery has available to sell. 

Daunting volume of paperwork required

Hideyuki Sobue, a Japanese artist based in the Lake District, has been experiencing delays importing his work to the UK from Paris due to the sheer volume of new shipping-related paperwork requirements. 

Many of his peers are having similar difficulties and he is concerned these costs and complications will discourage visual artists from taking part in exhibitions in the EU. “A lot of artists and galleries, or art managers will be discouraged from expanding their horizons”. 

Simple tasks such as ordering paint online are now very complex and there’s an additional layer of invisible labour and expense falling on a workforce already precariously employed. 

Artist Giles Round says: “Buying something on the internet should be as easy as buying socks, suddenly it’s a two-day thing with emails back and forth, setting up all these accounts etc…I had to pay more because they put an admin fee on the fact that all their UK orders take them more time.”

And it’s not only sole traders who are facing difficulties. The Whitechapel Gallery, established over 120 years ago, has stopped selling books online to EU customers as a direct consequence of shipping costs. 

Loss of European networks

Another significant challenge is the loss of access to EU institutions and networks. As highlighted recently by the Centre for Cultural Value, networks play a key role in supporting the cultural sector through crises and help build resilience and solidarity. 

Clymene Christoforou, Executive Director of visual arts producer, D6: Culture In Transit, says “It’s not just about loss of access to funding…we’re seeing fewer British faces and British voices in strategic positions across Europe outside of the funding and outside of the political sphere. Within civil society, the British voice has been marginalised.” 

While existing connections from Newcastle to Nicosia are disappearing, new networks are emerging as organisations find new ways to engage with Europe. D6 for example has set up a sister NGO in Cyprus to safeguard the future of its work. 

D6 initiates difficult conversations about European colonialism such as Contested Desires, a transnational, cooperation project which addresses colonial heritage and its influence on contemporary culture. Christoforou says “D6EU was not something we would have chosen to do, but we are now quite excited about new doors opening and new avenues for collaboration”. 

Call for action

CVAN, as a founding member of the Visual Arts Alliance, is specifically calling for a range of actions to be taken:
●    New funding models to support visual artists and organisations to engage in creative and economic EU/UK exchanges.
●    Knowledge exchange opportunities to share best practice about post-Brexit international exchange work.
●    Support for pilot projects such as Arts Infopoint [https://artsinfopointuk.com/] to facilitate international mobility of artists.
●    Business investment for visual arts SMEs to offer new opportunities and profile work internationally.
●    Representation by the sector on consultative bodies such as the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement Domestic Advisory Group.
●    Accessible government guidance for artists, specialists, museum professionals, exhibitors and businesses working or exhibiting in the EU.
●    Appointment of a Commissioner for Freelancers to champion the contribution these arts workers to the UK economy.

The double impact of Brexit and the pandemic is unprecedented and requires such urgent action from the arts, funders and government alike.

Şenay Camgöz is Communications and Campaign Manager at the Contemporary Visual Arts Network.
@cvanetwork