A New Model for Visual Arts Participation: Access, Education, Cohesion

Context and Challenge It has been sixty years since the publication of Jennie Lee’s landmark government white paper A Policy for the Arts (1965), which celebrated the value and utility of the arts in the broadest sense. The report’s defining principles are rooted in participation: that the arts should be available to everyone, that the value of art must be taught, and that a lucid arts policy will contribute to a “gayer and more cultivated country”. Lee's postwar vision of arts in the UK has faltered, beset by significant economic, cultural and social challenges that have inhibited its growth, inclusivity and influence. The visual arts, in particular, can mobilise communities: it nurtures career-defining skills and equips different generations with creativity and critical thinking. Yet without strategic action, the sector cannot deliver these many benefits. The visual arts therefore requires a radical vision that can assert its intrinsic value, evidence its social impact, and reimagine its principles of access, education and cohesion for the twenty-first century. Aims and Objectives This fellowship allows me to explore a prospective model for the visual arts as a vehicle for participation. I will focus on developing a collaborative, equitable model that drives economic growth and enriches urban culture to inspire future artists from all backgrounds. I will activate established partnerships with Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN), Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS), a-n: The Artists Information Company, and Plus Tate, who will comprise the advisory board for a “network of networks” and a research project. The synergies across these elements enables the production of a policy brief, policy framework, and two toolkits. Each will drive inclusive participation in the varied cultural spaces of the visual arts: from non-profit studios to local and commercial galleries. Diverse spaces of the visual arts already sustain the sector at different scales: from national funding schemes delivered by under-resourced organisations to occasional, volunteer-led classes held in meanwhile retail units. Lived and felt experiences of the sector highlight its distinctive challenges, but these also provide crucial data for redesigning cultural policies at a local and national level. Local government and community partners across the country have demonstrated the demand for a model that encompasses the breadth of UK visual arts practice: from painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics to photography, collage, video, design, and architecture. This wide range of media encourages wide and meaningful participation, but it also calls for unprecedented resources to unlock its full capabilities. The network will: Propose a visual arts participation model responsive to regional needs, educational opportunities, and intergenerational cohesion research. Provide a visual arts resource library that better serves diverse socioeconomic and geographical groups. The research will: Co-design a policy brief and policy framework that offers scalable solutions for the visual arts to address issues of community access, education and cohesion. Co-create two practical, digital toolkits to empower academics, visual artists, policymakers and communities. Applications and Benefits This model addresses needs identified by the LUCIA-LGA programme, including cultural access, educational under-attainment, and intergenerational communication. I will connect these issues to LUCIA-LGA research themes, specifically ownership of cultural spaces, breaking down cultural barriers, and intergenerational access to culture. I will lead and coordinate LUCIA-LGA networks and projects to deliver digestible and understandable briefs, toolkits and frameworks for academics, policymakers and communities, putting learning into immediate practice.