Out With The Bureaucrats, In With The Artists

I recently read an article entitled as above, in a newspaper regarding the new Chairman/Chairperson/Chairwoman of the Arts Council of England Dame Liz Forgan. the article lampooned any notion of trying to specifically fund artists whose work was attempting to express a political or social message, and concentrate on funding organisations known for quality and excellence in supporting the work of artists, and thereby let the artist express whatever they want. I agree, and excellent idea. If a wide and diverse enough strata of arts organisations are given funds them hopefully one would assume that a wide and diverse groups of artist would eventually be funded, of course it will never be that simple or democratic as any individual, group, or art organisation will testify to. To even be in a position to apply for Arts Council funding their are restrictive and stringent administrative hoops and organisational barriers to consider, and that's before you get anywhere near describing the art, content, and aims, (why should it even have an aim?) and if your art is too seen to be to radical or political(how do they decide?)will result in rejection, failure, and no doubt a slot on some hidden blacklist.

I applaud the notion of a spattering of artists amidst the various hierarchies of bureaucratic power, although a diverse and vibrant mixture of creativity across all disciplines and areas would be more democratic as I can think of nothing worse six painters on a funding committee with six accountants and a Chief Executive who but for the grace of god might have been a banker.

Why stop merely at arts organisations, why not simply place a wide diversity of talented creative people as well as artists at all levels of all organisations, Government, Education, Health, Economic. You would assume this already happens and there that is a continual flux of new ideas and social innovations being discussed but as any creative person knows, ans as the research explains creativity is the most vital survival ingredient of any organisation, but that doesn't mean its valued or even wanted. Who the hell wants to work with creative people, think of the chaos! Nooooo! Let's stick with the tried and tested structures and processes, that will see us through. The economic crisis is just one of those things no-one could have seen coming...........