A True Cultural Protest

Now is the time. 15% cut to the national museums over the next four years. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s budget reduced from £1.9bn to £1.1bn as well as well as 41% reduction in admin costs on top of council budgets being cut by 28%. The Arts Council of England faces a 30% cut.

The reports say this is a “relief” for the arts. Can I put this into some perspective for you? This Scribd document is a visualisation of the UK Quangos. See those small red circles in the top-middle? See them next in comparison to the other circles? Not very big, are they? There isn’t much to cut in the first place. The arts and culture of the UK are already delicate. Head of the Tate Sir Nicholas Serota called it a blitzkrieg.

You’ll often hear two phrases offered as so-called solution. One is “American-style philanthropy”. I would love my American readers to list off the problems they have had recently. The other is “Big Society”.

Overheard at #cpc: Charity MD: “What’s the big society?” Tory MP: “It’s you.” “Can we have some money then?” “No, that’s the whole point. (via Martin Bright)

So what can we do? Feel “relief” that these cuts aren’t as massive as others? Do we just accept it? Or shall we change our twitter avatars and possibly go wave a banner? What exactly will that do? At best, some column inches.

I’m throwing this idea out there. If someone wants to take it on, please do. If someone wants to talk to me further about it, email pete(at)newcurator.com.

The idea is a true cultural protest. No waving placards or looking disgruntled. The culture sector is supposed to be creative. Here is a creative form of protest. I’m treating this as a disaster and making it clear to the public the disastrous outcomes. All we would need is a group of highly motivated people and some clever funding options.

The idea is straightforward. A large wooden crate that looks like its been dropped from a helicopter. An aid package. Instead of being full of food, water and other humanitarian supplies, it’s a cultural aid package.

Yes, I know what this says. Yes, I realise it’s not comparable (My favourite expression recently has been “first world problems”) but I feel the strength of language involved is the important thing. These crates act like small pop-up cultural institutions. If someone thinks that things are that desperate, maybe they will appreciate the dramatic effect.

Get a number of these crates and put them in the street. Inside, it’s the clever bit. In my mind, I would love to get a number of out-of-work curators or students or any cultural worker to give proposals to fill them. Anything at all as long as it can fit inside. It will be eye-catching, attract people on the street and then, BAM, they see it’s part of a grand narrative. That’s how you make people support the arts. Give people a glimpse of a strange world without any at all.

From there, there are endless opportunities. Connecting the crates to social networks, updates, photos of visitors uploaded to Flickr, foursquare check-ins etc. Hell, give people badges to collect for visiting all the crates. I would also like to think there’s room for small satellite projects.

The important thing is not falling into the Big Society trap. I believe in people doing a good job and getting paid for it. It’s the basis of professionalism. This is an opportunity, not an example of people doing things for free. Hence the funding. I would love this to get some Kickstarter style funding. People getting some real ownership of the project, of THEIR arts, or THEIR culture that’s being cut. I would also like donation drives in the crates as well. Start gaining funding for the *next* set of projects.

A new form of protest along a new future of cultural activity. Take it on tour around the country. If this works and done correctly, it can make an impact that will last in the minds of the public.