The arts: hobby or living?

Inspired by this article in the Guardian http://gu.com/p/2j9a2/tw which highlights a debate in the blogosphere about the future of the arts.

Read it and join in the debate.

I have heard many sides of this debate.  There are folks who are following their hearts to carve a career for themselves in the arts, single-mindedly pursuing their vision and tolerating an inconsistent and insubstantial income.  Folks who have resigned themselves to doing bar work, cafe work, a 9-to-5 in order to subsidise their art, which they tend to do in their 'spare time'.  Folks who have come to a realisation that they won't find the ONE job in the arts that they are looking for, but have crafted a portfolio of occupations in the arts field.

Long gone are the days when artists could rely on a patron to support them.  Now we have governments....or do we?  There is currently a debate in Auckland, New Zealand, where I live, about the future of arts funding.  Auckland is in the process of merging its local governance bodies to form one 'super city'.  One side of this argument goes that if the city is to be 'super' by international standards, it will reserve a place at top table for arts and culture.  While we can campaign for the new local body to allocate arts and culture funding, we cannot sit on the sidelines and hope that sufficient funds are set aside for the sector.  We must take action for ourselves.  It remains in our hands, as the artists, to ensure that we make it work for us.  Let's not generate a dependency relationship with government, where our ability to create relies on the attitude of whoever happens to be in power.

As business manager of a young production company, I am faced with the task of raising funds, not only to finance the theatre, film and television we wish to create, but also to provide some level of income.  If we go down the track of having to get 'normal jobs' in order to support ourselves, what time and energy would be left to devote to our art?

Let us in the arts communities support each other by sharing creative ideas around fundraising.  And let's learn, together, how to make a compelling 'business case' for the arts.  Local businesses, both large and small, know that it's in their best interest to align themselves with good theatre, good film and good local artists.  They are simply waiting to hear the case for the arts.

And let's not limit our thinking so that we only consider what is in a gallery, on stage or in a museum as creative.  If we are to make a living from our craft, we need to see ourselves as businesspeople as well as creators; and we need to be creative in how we go about business as well.  When I hear of local theatre practitioners throwing a party to raise funds for their stage show, I am inspired by the creativity of their business sense.

arts sponsorship

interesting article in today's guardian (uk) about corporate sponsorship of the arts...http://gu.com/p/2tngj/tw

while it's important that corporates and other commercial organisations consider putting funding into the arts, it's just as important that we in the creative industry learn to make relationships with them.  we need to put a good business case as to why we should be supported.  we should expect to treat our commercial sponsors well, to forge a real relationship with them, to provide them something in return.  arts funding is tight and will continue to get tighter, and there is a good case to put to the commercial sector, as outlined in the guardian article.  forward thinking commercials want to align their brands with the kind of 'feel good' that the arts bring to us.  they want to be seen to support a vibrant cultural sector.  clever commercials know that 'in your face' marketing is a turn off.  they know that they can generate more brand awareness by being seen in the right places.  after all, we are known by the company we keep.

but let's get our thinking caps on before going to the commercials with begging bowls.  let's work out what we can give in exchange for their support.  let's make it clear to them that we are looking to build mutually satisfying relationships.  let's work to find arrangements with the commercials that mean everyone benefits.

arts funding

right in the thick of producing Gene Pool, fingers still crossed that some of those sponsorship proposals will come through for us....there has got to be a novel way to get the performing arts funded properly.  we've been talking about a new model for funding and beginning to look for interested partners to join...i think what we've come up with would be called social entrepreneurship.  i suspect it'll take a little time to take root but we think it could revolutionise how funding happens...it'll also make life easier for us up-and-coming creative types and free us up to spend more time doing what we want to be doing and not fretting about irregular and unreliable funding streams.