Roy Clare, speaking at the Culture is Right conference, re-iterated that culture is not a cost, but an opportunity.
Roy Clare, Chief Executive at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) speaking at the Culture is Right conference; today (Thursday 22 Oct); welcomed Davey's speech and re-iterated that culture is not a cost, but an opportunity.
Roy Clare said, "Culture is at the heart of how people feel about themselves. Museums, libraries and archives - together with other forms of arts and heritage services - actively support learning; contribute to developing new skills and are a key influence to rebuild confidence; inspire creativity; restore hope and stimulate creativity in people.
"But the instrumental benefits can only be derived from productions, shows and programmes that are intrinsically strong and produced to the highest quality. Great art supports great social gains.
"Aspiration - especially among young people – requires nourishment particularly as we start the long road to recover from the recession. Regeneration and renewal are essentially about better places to live, bridging social and ethnic divides and reinforcing steps toward economic re-birth. The creative industries and all forms of culture and art are a vital component; among other things driving and encouraging a spirit of enquiry and discovery.
"The MLA's Stories of the World programme is an imaginative response to the opportunity of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad; it is driven by a vision to set the pace and do things differently.
"Free and easy access to information and digital technology through these services is also key in ensuring participation. Cultural services make a significant contribution to creative economy, tourism and more importantly to people's lives. The Living Places example shows what can be achieved through joined-up thinking.
"Culture organisations need to think bigger and more strategically - people are less bothered about the name over the door but are drawn in and more engaged by the activities within, whether art, music or dance. We need to put people at the core of all we do - reach out with new ways of interpreting collections; share and engage rather than just keep and protect. Institutional walls must not be a barrier to genuinely innovative partnerships and outreach.
"Arts Council and MLA are actively working on a pilot for a joint prospectus, ultimately area by area, that can facilitate unified conversations to support improvement and investment in communities and localities.
"We must recognise that culture is in the hands of local people and their communities - decision-making is done locally through local government. As such we need to ensure that culture actively supports local government's service delivery and priorities for positive social outcomes for people and communities.
"A new government will also need to recognise that local authorities make more than 70 per cent of the investment in culture and the arts across the country. National government needs to understand and support this investment; and manage and avoid the risk that through benign neglect they effectively 'devolve the axe'. Culture needs sustained and joined-up investment, locally, regionally and nationally.”
The 'Culture Is Right' conference was held in London yesterday. Alan Davey's key note speech challenged those who argue that subsidising the arts does not offer value for money. Other speakers at the two day 'Culture Is Right' event included Ed Vaizey, Shadow Arts Minister; Munira Murza, Director of Arts Strategy GLA; Tony Hall, CEO Royal Opera House and Tom Bewick, CEO Creative & Cultural Skills.
Ends
Notes to editors:
- The MLA is the government's agency for museums, libraries and archives. Leading strategically, we promote best practice to inspire innovative, integrated and sustainable services for all.
- Stories of the World is one of the ten major projects at the heart of the Cultural Olympiad, led by the MLA in partnership with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). Comprising a series of innovative exhibitions to run in 2011/ 12 – featuring collections reinterpreted by young people, local communities, historians, artists and other fresh voices – it aims to further engage young and diverse audiences with the museum sector.
- Living Places is a national programme about culture and sport-led community regeneration, chaired by MLA and based on an agreement between five of the leading cultural agencies: Arts Council England, The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), English Heritage, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), and Sport England, their sponsoring department, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).