Arts Council England
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Arts and industry working together for economic sustainability
Alan Davey, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, has yesterday (25 November 2009) called for sustained long term investment in the arts, and closer partnerships between the arts and industry, to ensure that creativity is at the centre of the UK’s economic future.
Speaking at yesterday’s Creative Industries conference at the British Film Institute (BFI), Davey outlines the huge contribution the arts already make as a key driver of growth in the creative economy. He spoke of his determination for the Arts Council to work closely with tourism, the commercial arts sector and with industry, helping the creative industries realise their potential and ensuring the long term economic stability of the country.
Alan Davey will say:
“Despite the obvious economic constraints, and the political uncertainty, I’m optimistic about the immediate future of the arts...”
“Our international reputation for cultural excellence already makes the UK an attractive place to invest in and visit. But by increasing the reach of the arts on offer, and by working more closely with tourism bodies – as we did successfully with Liverpool 08 – the arts can stimulate economic growth.
“Put simply, with cultural wealth comes economic wealth – arts investment leading to commercial exploitation. So much so that I believe the cultural sector is the bedrock of our successful creative industries and the UK’s knowledge economy..."
“Quality is surely the best way to build your audience. And it’s something we can help do nationally. We need to work harder and more effectively to achieve our mission of ‘Great art for everyone’.
“Quality is, of course, a deeply subjective concept - one man’s Emin is another’s Van Eyck – so we take our responsibility to consult the public, and the cultural and creative sectors, very seriously.”
The speech also outlines the benefits of the Arts Council fostering innovative new partnerships between arts organisations and other sectors:
“We (Arts Council England) are not some monolithic public service. We create very modern, and successful, public-private partnerships.
“I see us as a ‘venture capital’ fund for the creative economy, using our learnings, our experience and our networks to build longer-lasting partnerships with the commercial and voluntary sectors. We will use this to help partners have a more sustainable future – making the hard decisions and helping them develop successful commercial models and partnerships…"
“Our investment is one of the reasons the UK is the world’s largest cultural goods exporter.”
1. Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people’s lives.
As the national development agency for the arts, we support a range of artistic activities from theatre to music, literature to dance, photography to digital art, and carnival to crafts.
Great art inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves, and the world around us. In short, it makes life better.
Between 2008 and 2011, we will invest £1.3 billion of public money from government and a further £0.3 billion from the National Lottery to create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.
www.artscouncil.org.uk
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