SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS SEMINAR LEARNING REPORT

Transcription

1 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS SEMINAR LEARNING REPORT

2 Above: We, The Crowd was a 2016 Sharing the Stage production which expored what music and footba mean to peope aged from eight to 85 iving in Newcaste s West End. Both professiona and nonprofessiona performers took part; for exampe members of the Roya Northern Sinfonia and students from a oca primary schoo. Front cover: Dancers from Chicago performing at the Nationa Theatre of Scotand s Home Away festiva in This festiva was supported by the Sharing the Stage programme. Sharing the Stage Poicy and Practice: The Civic Roe of Arts Organisations Seminar earning report pubished in 2017 by Caouste Gubenkian Foundation UK Branch

3 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT 1 PREFACE Our fina Poicy and Practice seminar for 2016 was spent focusing on the civic roe of arts organisations, the subject of a muti year inquiry the Foundation is running. We were privieged to have the seminar ed as usua by François Matarasso. He is an expert in this fied, and brings many years of experience, as we as his thoughtfu disposition to this topic. Guided by the three metaphors the Inquiry s pane devised in 2016, which are reprinted within this booket, we examined arts organisations civic roe. Sma groups discussed arts organisations function as coeges (paces of earning), town has (paces of debate) and parks (paces of meeting). We aso expored the concept of arts organisations being hospitas (paces of we-being and heath). You can read in detai the discussion we had within this report. As the Arts Programme Manager I fet it was vita to have the Inquiry anaysed by such a range of practitioners. I vaue the feedback from everyone present, as we as the subsequent work some have been invoved in. The Inquiry wi be highy consutative throughout its duration. In 2016 during Phase One of the Inquiry arts organisations across the country gave us their view in a series of workshops; in turn we pan to consut coeagues on the findings through an onine survey from 10 Juy to 10 November I woud ike to thank our coeagues at the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Pau Hamyn Foundation for co-designing this seminar with us. Kithmini Wimaasekera (Arts Programme Manager) TURN was a 2016 Sharing the Stage performance created especiay for Gasgow s Govan Graving Docks by theatre-maker Nic Green.

4 2 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT SEMINAR REPORT THE INQUIRY INTO THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS Our fina Poicy and Practice seminar for 2016 with the Sharing the Stage earning group brought together members from neary 50 arts organisations to examine the Inquiry into the Civic Roe of Arts Organisations. WHAT IS THE INQUIRY INTO THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS? In our changing word, the Inquiry is designed as a space for arts organisations to consider our response to the poitica, socia and economic factors that impact on our society, exporing how individua and coective actions can enabe peope s voices to be heard. It is an opportunity for the arts sector to reconsider its roe in society through the frame of a civic roe in the 21st century. The Inquiry is highy consutative and driven by the sector, and focused on actions that wi support organisationa change and resiience in paying a civic roe. It aims to gavanise the sector into a movement that is committed to being peope-focused, coaborative and champions of the artistic and socia vaue of the arts in the future. Setting the scene We were guided through this seminar by François Matarasso, member of the Internationa Reference Group advising the Inquiry, and co-faciitator of the Sharing the Stage seminar series. François began with a speech on the overapping issues of democracy, access and power structures. He reminded us of the topic he expores in his work Pariament of Dreams : that in a democracy where there are forma structures for seeking representation, those who ack the confidence or knowedge of how these structures operate are disempowered in negotiating what they want. He said: An artistic ife is a space where we can imagine, expore, make sense and chaenge. It is a rich pace for the negotiation of our vaues. The transformative power of the arts impacts on us a however we cannot put its impact into words. An informa artistic ife is richer and more diverse than a forma ife. François refected that for the first time the arts are on the osing ibera eft side after a ong time in power. François beives this is a moment for the sector to refect and reimagine its reevance to the pubic. He quoted phiosopher Chares Tayor who describes democracy as an idea in which we beieve in to give everyone a voice. He then said: The opportunity ies in creating spaces that are unique to arts organisations, where peope can have a voice to recaim democracy. The distinctive roe of the arts is in supporting peope to articuate concerns, beiefs, dreams and how peope ive out an artistic ife in the broadest sense. By being agie, responsive and informa, the arts offer a different space that informs a forma democratic ife. The inevitabe chaenge is in how these spaces work for dissenting voices and manage different vaues, whist recognising that the arts sector has a reputation for being governed by the ibera eite. SEMINAR REPORT

5 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT 3 It is a hoistic and coaborative endeavour with the sector to identify practice, infrastructure and poicy evers of change. It is a phiosophy, not a funding programme. Civic roe of arts organisation Before we discussed the Inquiry as a Learning Community, Andrew Barnett, Director of the UK Branch of the Caouste Gubenkian Foundation, described how this work buids on a ong history of supporting the arts sector. Semina pubications by the Foundation incude Hep for the Arts in 1959, Going on the Stage in 1975, The Arts Britain Ignores in 1976, Vountary Organisations Facing Change in 1976 and The Point of Cuture in These a set in motion radica new ways of thinking about practice, and infuenced poicy changes that were conducive to innovation. These works often incuded pioting approaches that have now become estabished mainstream practice. Andrew said a deep understanding of the nature of change is what enabes the Foundation to infuence systems to ensure ongterm change is embedded. Andrew tod the crowd he beieves the Inquiry is a natura progression for the Foundation in supporting arts organisations to future-proof themseves in our changing socia, poitica and economic word. It is a hoistic and coaborative endeavour with the sector to identify practice, infrastructure and poicy evers of change. It is a phiosophy, not a funding programme. Andrew pointed to the EU Referendum, saying it has given the Inquiry added urgency as the differences of ife experiences across the country and the deep divides in pubic opinions have become starky apparent. The Inquiry is an attempt to pace arts organisations at the centre of finding a way to make sense of these changes, understand difference and connect peope. Benefits and risks To unpack the compexities of what a civic roe for arts organisations coud mean, François offered two insights to preface the discussion on the benefits and risks. Firsty, John Berger s Ways of Seeing first pubished in 1972, offers a reminder of what peope bring from our ife experience to the act of seeing. Secondy, Don McCuin s war photography in the 1960s which powerfuy connected peope to the reaities of iving in confict zones, yet fe short of foowing up on that human connection with action. With that in mind the attendees found consensus on the benefits of paying a civic roe as opportunities to: Expand our earning and our wordview. Expore the unique offer of the arts as a pace to dream, discover, expore and imagine. We must not ose sight of this and need to make a stand for the vaue of pay, particuary in turbuent times. Connect with the whoe of ife experience, the whoe person and a whoe community beyond the imits of a project by creating pathways that enabe peope to access a range of pubic services. Offer communities a space for sef-transformation and agency within the community. Embed diversity through civic engagement. Use the civic frame to connect across sectors. Embed co-production in the vaues and ife of an arts organisation. Secure the future of the arts by being reevant. SEMINAR REPORT

6 4 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT The attendees aso found consensus on the risks to be aware of as: Compromising on the artistic quaity. Assuming a defaut roe of the teacher, rather than the sector seeing itsef as an integra part of society. Considering the arts as existing for itsef, rather than the sector seeing itsef as reationa to the everyday. Taking on roes of the state by becoming a more cost effective pubic service and enabing a broken system. Disiusionment about being experts in socia care. Overpromising and under-deivering. Creating ghettos of good work within organisations. Sioing communities based on how the sector works and oca authorities manage pubic services such as domestic abuse, socia care, etc. Thoughts from the Coeges group This group refected on how arts organisations offer a space for earning throughout a person s ife, from the eary years to oder age. Creating ways to ignite curiosity, buid awareness and knowedge, as we as deveop skis for ife; arts organisations offer neutra spaces with the power to engage a whoe community. In the context of the changes in the abour market over the next ten to twenty years and increased automation, by supporting ifeong earning, art organisations can enabe peope to prepare for these changes and upski. The group aso discussed that whie arts organisations can have a rich offer for communities, there is much for arts organisations to gain. By acting as a coege, it creates a two-way process whereby the organisation can earn from communities and tap into wider expertise and diverse ived experiences that may not be avaiabe within the organisation. They fet it is an unreaistic expectation for an organisation to think it has a the answers - there is vaue in not knowing. The undercurrent to the discussion above was: do arts organisations have egitimate rights to pay a roe in civic ife? We then spit into smaer groups to discuss in more detai how the civic roe of arts organisations worked with the metaphors of coeges, town has, parks, and on the theme of heath and webeing. These are reviewed in more detai beow. The Sharing the Stage Learning Community divided into smaer groups to discuss the civic roe of arts organisations. SEMINAR REPORT

7 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT 5 Transparency of process and co-design must be fundamenta to buiding spaces that are based on how to attract peope and serve their needs. Thoughts from the Town Has group This group agreed that arts organisations offer a space for discussion, istening and enjoyment that goes beyond what a traditiona town ha coud offer. Town has have forma structures where the pubic can have a voice as ong as estabished rues are foowed. Arts organisation offer a nuanced pace for the communities voices to come together, connect, appreciate difference and create. The distinction is significant in that arts organisations offer a space for communicating what we want, as opposed to a traditiona town ha communicating what the peope want. The opportunity for the sector ies in how we understand and maximise on that difference. The vaue of the town ha is in stimuating debate, but it must transate to action. A key thought posed was: town has have been given a egitimate roe to represent peope through our poitica process, so what then makes it egitimate for arts organisations to represent peope? What is needed to egitimise the roe of arts organisations in representing peope? Thoughts from the Parks group This group understood the idea behind this metaphor is that of a pace which is open to everyone and where peope from a waks of ife can meet. They fet that on the surface this space suggests neutraity, yet in fact it masks a highy curated space coonised by those who know how to use it. It hides the hierarchica structure that governs it. A more thoughtfu approach that goes beyond simpy offering an open door, is to consider how to engage peope who do not know the space exists, to engage those who are not aware of an invitation to enter. Funding structures need to change to enabe cocreation, buid capacity to make connections and buid asting reationships. Transparency of process and co-design must be fundamenta to buiding spaces that are based on how to attract peope and serve their needs. These spaces need to be egibe to peope. Thoughts from the Heath and Webeing group Arts organisations can support individua and community heath and webeing, this group agreed, but can aso create spaces for feowship and congregation that are akin to churches. Arts organisations can infuence the heath sector to support a transition from a medica to a socia mode. However, they thought the routes to infuence are not cear. Arts organisations need to take a hoistic view and be mindfu of not becoming socia engineers or offering temporary soutions. This area is becoming increasingy important as the webeing agenda gains momentum and oca authorities take on responsibiity for pubic heath. SEMINAR REPORT

8 6 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT BRIEFING NOTE THE METAPHORS The foowing text was received by the attendees of the Sharing the Stage Learning Community before we met. COLLEGES: arts organisations as paces of earning Education is about skis and creativity and about knowedge and experiences too; experience of the word we ive in and its compexities, knowedge that acquaints us with our history and cuture and that of others. The pane, as do we, thinks emphasis has righty been paced on creative education and what happens in schoos. However we aso earn outside forma educationa settings, and throughout our ives. The arts are integra to this. There are great exampes of ways in which arts organisations have historicay fufied this roe: paces of ife-ong earning. And there are many exampes of arts organisations acting as paces of earning today. We and the pane beieve arts organisations have an important roe to pay in heping everyone to reach their potentia. As we ook to the future, what greater roe can arts organisations pay in earning beyond the schoo gate for a generations? As imagination and creativity increasingy become fundamenta for work in any sector and in buiding heathy communities, coud arts organisations become the teaching hospitas of the arts word, where peope are trained up ready to go out into the word with artistic and creative skis? What shoud the reationships be between the other civic payers who deiver education? Can arts organisations contribute to a new understanding of prosperity which incorporates artistic, creative, education and socia as we as economic outcomes? TOWN HALLS: arts organisations as paces for debate Art has aways stimuated and refected current debates about issues as diverse as human rights and gentrification. Pressing issues today incude Brexit, cimate change and ending poverty and inequaity in a its forms. Trust in civic organisations is waning and even those who are expert in their fieds are being questioned. There is a risk inequaity is regarded as too big an issue and therefore unsovabe. So how do we give arts organisations permission to tacke some of the reay big issues? How do we give them permission to engage in poitics? How can we te activist from traditiona organisations, when funding processes require the same anguage from a? How do we progress from sma-scae arts initiatives around equaity into argescae poitica soutions? How do we make artists into poiticians, and vice versa? What can arts organisations do around the issue of trust in communities? Museums and ibraries in particuar are seen as trusted organisations. As we ook to the future we need a better understanding of the unique civic roe that arts organisations pay as neutra paces for open discourse. Coud they provide the patform upon which soutions to the intractabe probems society faces are constructed and depoyed? Can getting invoved in neighbourhood arts resut in peope recognising their connections to paces and the common ground they share with their feow citizens? How might arts organisations best achieve this? BRIEFING NOTE

9 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT 7 PARKS: arts organisations as pubic spaces The space we share with our feow citizens is important. Pubic space is becoming increasingy contested and in some paces peope fee crowded out of their communities, be it through gentrification or migration. Pubic parks, freey accessibe for eisure and webeing for a, are a perfect exampe of the type of spaces our Pane fet are going to be needed in the future to maintain and deveop community. Peope use parks with a sense of agency that can be acking in other pubic spaces. You choose to go to a park, mix with others and do what you want to do rather than take part in activities others have programmed for you. We need paces where a puraity of viewpoint can be expressed and heard. Where disagreements can be safey heard and compromises reached. Arts organisations have a unique abiity to chaenge and express a wide range of viewpoints. They unsurpassed communicators of feeings. They shape the identity of paces. They are pacemakers enabing communities to thrive and attract new members as we as maintaining the heath and vibrancy of existing communities. As funding structures are re-imagined in oca government and the civic infrastructure arts organisations had taken for granted disappear a step change in how arts organisations see and work with their communities is underway. To be truy civic arts organisations need to understand what beonging means and to get better at understanding communities not just the audience subset of communities. As arts organisations move to seeing participation as co-creating rather than spectating they aso need to decide how to inhabit the new pubic spaces they find themseves in. BRIEFING NOTE

10 8 SHARING THE STAGE POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE CIVIC ROLE OF ARTS ORGANISATIONS NOVEMBER 2016 SEMINAR REPORT WHAT S NEXT? The Foundation wi be wrapping up Phase One of the Inquiry in the midde of We pan to pubish a report in Juy with research into this topic and a coection of case studies of next practice from the sector to inspire the sector. Going forward we want to connect those who are interested in enacting a civic roe to create a movement and work with arts funders and poicy makers to refect on how the funding system can be rethought to better support a civic roe. Find out more at civicroeartsinquiry.gubenkian.org.uk

11 ABOUT THE CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION The Caouste Gubenkian Foundation is an internationa charitabe foundation with cutura, educationa, socia and scientific interests. Based in Lisbon with branches in London and Paris, the Foundation is in a privieged position to support nationa and transnationa work tacking contemporary issues. The purpose of the UK Branch, based in London, is to bring about ongterm improvements in webeing particuary for the most vunerabe, by creating connections across boundaries (nationa borders, communities, discipines and sectors) which deiver socia, cutura and environmenta vaue. ABOUT THE ESMÉE FAIRBAIRN FOUNDATION Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve the quaity of ife for peope and communities throughout the UK both now and in the future. We do this by funding a wide range of charitabe work within the arts, chidren and young peope, the environment, socia change and food. ABOUT PAUL HAMYLN FOUNDATION Pau Hamyn Foundation was estabished by Pau Hamyn in Upon his death in 2001, he eft most of his estate to the Foundation, creating one of the argest independent grant-making foundations in the UK. Our mission is to hep peope overcome disadvantage and ack of opportunity, so that they can reaise their potentia and enjoy fufiing and creative ives. We have a particuar interest in supporting young peope and a strong beief in the importance of the arts. Caouste Gubenkian Foundation UK Branch 50 Hoxton Square London N1 6PB +44 (0) info@gubenkian.org.uk