Two-thirds of the British public agree with the Coalition Government’s approach to cutting arts funding and promoting philanthropy, according to a new survey.
Organisers of The Threadneedle visual arts prize questioned 2,022 British adults who also believe that visual arts should receive no money from the government at all.
They also found that that 66% of the public believed the government were right to cut funding to the arts, with only 16% believed that the majority of funding should come from the public purse.
These latest findings serve to highlight the need for vocal, coordinated and sustained advocacy for the arts. There are a number of toolkits available and campaigns for you to get involved with. Below are just a few:
Arts Council England - Why the Arts Matter
ACE have released a toolkit aimed at helping your organisation to make the persuasive argument that cuts to the arts should be as small as possible and managed in an intelligent and rational manner.
All About Audiences Subscribers can download the toolkit here.
Love Museums
Museums Association have launched their Love Museums campaign. Visit their website for online resources, statistics and case studies to increase advocacy for your museum.
UK Film Council
Probably the most famous example of a campaign against Coalition cuts began when Jeremy Hunt’s department announced the scrapping of the UK Film Council. With interventions from Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood to the Chancellor, this is an argument that does not seem to be settling down. Ed Vaisy recently called staff from UKFC to his office to give them a telling off for what he sees as ‘lobbying to save themselves'.
Craft Matters
Crafts Council are asking people to finish the simple statement, "Crafts matter to me because...". They aim to convey the enthusiasm and passion the nation has for crafts to highlight why it’s funding should not be slashed.
Twitter & Arts Ning
Social networking has become a hive of activity, nowhere more so than Twitter. To follow the latest news and to join the conversation, be sure to check out and use the #artsfunding hashtag. This paints a real-time picture of what is happening during this fast-paced period of change.
You can keep up-to-date by following All About Audiences on Twitter: @aboutaudiences.
We would also recommend that you sign up to the Arts Funding Ning site. This allows people from around the country to share thoughts, concerns and ideas.
I Value The Arts
Look out for details of the soon to be launched I Value the Arts Campaign. The campaign will look to minimise impact of local and national government cuts to local authority and Third Sector arts provision.