The arts and culture sector in England is in difficulty, writes Rachel Gilmour MP.
Financial pressures on the sector stemming from COVID and the cost-of-living crisis are being keenly felt.
The loss of performance and exhibition spaces, and the narrowing of young people’s education choices to remove arts and culture subjects, have not helped.
When people think of arts and culture, I wonder what they think about.
Theatre performances?
Choirs in fussy outfits singing the same songs?
Book clubs in village halls?
Online spaces?
All of these are arts and culture in their own way, and they provide a great benefit to their communities.
Arts and culture organisations in Tiverton and Minehead aren’t tucked away in dusty corners - they’re alive in everyday life.
From grassroots theatre groups and local festivals to creative hubs that bring together musicians, painters and digital artists, communities within my constituency are finding new ways to celebrate their identity.
Earlier this year, I was delighted to watch the Somerset Opera in their performance of HMS Pinafore at the Regal Theatre in Minehead.
Far from being ‘all at sea’, the volunteer team at the Regal regularly bring great quality performances to Minehead - putting on more than 150 shows per year!
Whilst opera might not be to everyone’s taste, there is something for everyone at the Regal.
If you can’t make it to Minehead, then why not pop into Exmoor Studios in Dulverton, where they screen National Theatre Live performances?
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East Quay in Watchet and Stacked Wonky in Porlock are also beacons of our arts and culture scene in West Somerset.
East Quay has come on leaps and bounds since it was opened, providing studio spaces and peer support opportunities for artists and creatives in the area.
Meanwhile, Stacked Wonky are nurturing the next generation whilst displaying the excellence of the current one, and winning national awards in the process!
Recently, I took in the delights of the Dulverton and Exmoor Literary Festival.
There was a real buzz, which was absolutely fantastic to see.
These organisations are just the tip of the iceberg, but they are emblematic of the fantastic work which goes on all across West Somerset and West Deane.
That’s why it’s so disappointing that these organisations are far too often strapped for cash.
It’s not because people don’t want what they put on, and it’s not because they don’t add tremendous value to their communities; it’s because there just isn’t enough support from the government to keep the sector afloat.
The previous Conservative government downgraded the status of arts subjects at school, slashed funding for them at university, and erected new barriers to British musicians and actors performing elsewhere in Europe.
It’s no wonder young people aren’t engaging with arts and culture in the same way as before!
This government has an opportunity to right that wrong and turn things around.
Our creative and tourism industries contribute billions of pounds to our economy and employ millions of people.
Art, music, drama and sports bring people together.
It’s time for the government to back British arts and culture, and support it to thrive, not just survive – in Tiverton and Minehead, and beyond.
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