Whilst grateful to to Arts Council England South East, for the opportunity to network and get ‘on message’ at their annual, smoothly oiled ‘Spring Briefing’ this years offering has left me with a gnawing feeling of doubt - are they really listening? Apart from the wonderful food, the smorgasbord on offer for our delectation and absorption came under six headings (oh okay, if you must know; work related learning, catalyst for change, creating the conditions for excellence, the great outdoors, increasing engagement, stengthening the visual arts) The buzz-words of the day were ‘risk’ and ‘excellence in the arts’. Patrick Sandford (Nuffield Theatre) and Andrew Nairn (Modern Art Oxford) think we should be aiming higher, striving for excellence, treading the path of the great masters who have gone before, and that Brian McMasters’ paper on ‘Excellence’ is on the money. However those of us whose work is perhaps less ‘product’ focused and more focused on the process, the journey, the experience - weren’t so sure.
Simon Fanshawe hosted the day and I loved his plea for Regionally Funded organisations to not sign their Arts Council funding contracts but to draw up their own agreement and reinstate the artistic integrity and aims at the beating heart of the organisation so the contract allowed for more of a dialogue (all very well for him to say perhaps - he’s leaving!) but there’s plenty of actors’ agents and business managers who would agree that a contract is a working dialogue that should be shaped and formed to reach a comfortable state of agreement, a plateau of understanding, if you like.
The day was full of mixed messages: we were told at the start of the day that ‘all the innovation in digital media is driven by the market’ and yet the presence of digital media at the conference amounted to the showing of a few short films (sorry Glyndebourne yours didn’t move me other than to consider the pun on ‘photo-stitching’ and to remember to get my hoover fixed) and the brief titles on the power point (must we still be doing this?) When asked at the end if any of us knew about ‘twitter’ (only one example of how social media is used in business and communication these days) just four people raised their hand. Does this mean, as artists, that we are ignoring the vast and creative use of digital media in the arts and at what cost? Or does this simply reflect an ignorance at management level in the arts rather than at grass roots?
We were also invited to discuss ‘excellence’ in the arts but despite Gavin Stride (panel member and Regional Council Member) admitting it’s not a word in his artistic vocabulary and that he is more likely to think about the ‘ambition’ of the company the panel seemed to think this was an acceptance of the need to put the word ‘excellence’ at the centre of our working ethos. Indeed who really is prepared to think of themselves as being ‘excellent’, as artists we always strive for something more, something unattainable perhaps? To me excellence smacks of ‘ego’. But I was reminded this week that we all have differing perceptions of the meaning of a word, I was challenged over my use of the word ‘celebration’ which to me was to laud and reflect but to another conjured up visions of a more vigorous applauding. Whatever excellence is, it is unlikely to be ‘excellence’ that people aspire to - more likely to be the best, the chosen, commercially viable or good, or satisfying/pleasing/rewarding.
In one of the workshops ‘catlysts for change’, some of us were invited to meet Jon Adams, a visual artist who having struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia has only in recent years had the confidence to apply for funding and pursue a career as an artist. By his own admission, his art is hidden because he considers himself disabled by his lack of confidence - therefore his disability is a ‘hidden’ disability - you can’t see it, touch it, smell it. How, I can’t help but wonder, would he ever have come into the light, if all we focused on was ‘excellence’ which smacks of ‘the chosen few’ - oh yes it does, the ‘winning team’.
Does the word ‘excellence’, best serve the arts? Is it the concern of most artists? For those not in the arts world would the embellishment ‘excellent’ sway their decision to attend/participate/purchase/view/support. Surely many artists are striving for originality - how can something untried and untested be labelled ‘excellent’? Bill & Ted (who were whispering in my ear all the way home) “Most excellent, dude”, use it spuriously to express their pleasure at something, there is no quality in their judgement. After all, who is to say what is excellent - the market drives art through it’s utter abhorence of it (Damien Hurst - pickled sheep/ Gone with The Wind - The Musical) or it’s placid acceptance of it (anything Shakespeare/The National Portrait Gallery/Angel of the North) or it’s sheer exuberent love (although not always lasting) of it (Street Dance, Jordan - the autobiography, Disney, Eastenders etc.) Being the nation’s favourite artist, artform or art icon is gratifying I’m sure but does it automatically imply excellence? I don’t know. I understand where Patrick Sandford and Andrew Nairn are coming from, I totally supported Sir Peter Halls outcry at the lack of vocal skill that a rising number of actors fail to command during their live performances in theatres. I want to witness skill and craft not least in theatre, I witnessed a street performance during a festival some years ago that left me breathless at the performers skill in delivering their entire show before a threatened tumultuous downpour that was so impressive and crafted that the audience would have happily stood wet but ecstatic in the thunder and rain just for five minutes more. But there has to be room for experiment, for fumbling journeys of mistakes (through which we learn) and innovation and originality.
As someone noted at the event, most of the great masters were not recognised as such when living, only when dead. Their concern whilst living, was the exploration of their art, their style, their revoloution in their art-form, breaking barriers, challenging perceptions, breaking new ground. And what of the young, the unconfident, those not percieved as gifted and talented? Where does excellence lie in their vocabulary?
Travelling from Brighton to Chichester one evening this week I witnessed a lovely train guard at work, he evicted a group of excitable youngsters (who clearly didn’t have tickets) with such good humour they got off at the next stop without a fuss and impedending disaster was averted. He then rescued a woman traveller in distress (on the wrong train and doomed to miss her connection to Cambridge) he got her on the right train, calmly and coolly sorted out a new route and timetable then, equally calmly issued another man with a ticket for his journey the next day when he overheard him worrying about the ticket office being open – not sure I’ve conveyed the sheer amazement I experienced watching someone be so personable, so thoughtful. It was that small but kind gesture that warmed me and next day I was invited to join a facebook group ’small acts of kindness’ these are indeed, the times for small acts of kindness.
