Michael Szpakowski
Since the beginning
Works in Harlow United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

ARTBASE (1)
Discussions (1004) Opportunities (5) Events (14) Jobs (0)
DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION

Photos of Mail Nothing to the Tate Modern


Yes - it'd be nice to see the Tate taking a stand, wouldn't it? But of course it's not just BP , although that currently raises the question in a particularly acute way; it's private sponsorship of the arts in general - the banks, car manufacturers & what have you, all of whom are villains when you dig deep enough (not very).
I fear without some encouragement from below it's unlikely that we'll see change - we've had all sorts of interviews in the papers with the great and good of the arts here about the new Tory/Lib Dem govt & one thing that seems to unite them all is their rabbit in the headlights cowardice and paralysis in the face of authority - the govt wants more private sponsorship? - well, we'll adopt a twin track tactic of schmoozing as much as possible to hang on to what we've got whilst trying to show them we are game to try and get more private (tainted) money in. I think the mind set of leading arts admin figures here is pretty much set to deferential and, that horrible word, "realistic".

That also leads to dreadful instrumentalist attempts to justify the arts in terms of their utility &, by implication, accepting cuts have to fall somewhere, which pits the arts against schools, hospitals whatever.

I'm for a bit of Greek style resistance that tells the banks & the government that we're not taking *any* sort of cuts, hospitals, persions, arts funding, schools...let the rich pay for it all, not through sponsorship but expropriation!

cheers
michael


DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION