[cma-l] Arts and industry working together for economic sustainability

[CMA-L]

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.”

Source: http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/DNWA-7Y6EWE

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