Cuts Cuts and More Cuts PAH!

I never really meant to use this blog for anything other than my creative works.  But today, after being witness to certain attitudes regarding cuts in general, let alone cuts to the Arts, I had to blow off steam somewhere.

I listened to LBC radio station today and listened to the comments made by people regarding cuts to the arts. It seemed very clear that many people don’t seem to think it has anything to do with them. So when browsing facebook, in the news feed I came across Haptrees post and a link to her blog with an animation by David Shrigley

http://tiny.cc/2h4jr   watch it and I hope you see why you should support this and then sign the petition here: http://savethearts-uk.blogspot.com/

I left a comment on Haptrees blog because it seems more and more it seems that many believe this has nothing to do with them as people. I work at a centre that is funded by the local borough, central government has made it clear they are making cuts and the borough (as have many in the UK) will of course pass those cuts down onto the people who provide services in the local community.

We are part funded, which means funding for salaries from the government and funding from other funding bodies for additional things so that the centre can run; such as summer, Easter, Christmas holiday schemes, trips and residential off site so the kids can experience a world other than the place they see every day of the year . Do people realise what they have in their local community? Umm, some do. Many don’t. Do many even realise where the funds come from? Nope.

The activities provided at my centre are better than some that people pay for. The Arts are coming out of our children’s ears, bvecause we are lucky to have found funding to provide materials, or specialist workers, or sessional workers who free up time for myself to take workshops.  Their choices are second to none as they have options to create, learn and have fun making, expressing themselves, acting, singing, creating music and song as well as costume making, making instruments, a full range of arts and crafts from pottery to jewellery making, mould making, giant puppets and miniature flower making, hats, masks, parties to celebrate the traditional holidays, and more. ALL FOR FREE! Other than school, where really, most children don't have access to activities like this all year round, where else can they do all these things, for free? It's free because money is fundraised for the centre.

All I know is that the community get an amazing service, run by people who actually care about their children and young people. Our kids get support and guidance, help, love and care all year round. The Borough, that fund the salaries, pay for a 'commissioned' service (what exactly does that mean?), which is logged, monitored and reported on so that the people behind their shiny tables in plush council buildings can get a good idea of what we do. But do they? No, of course they don’t.

Because we live in a tick box culture. As long as you can tick a box and say you’ve done it, and have some waffle to show objectives and outcomes, then it’s all sweet. Until the cuts come and this will then potentially threaten a homely place that our children feel confident in and are happy. An environment which is free and which promotes play and the Arts. Us being cut by the borough will mean that the money will have to be found elsewhere. I can tell you from my experience with fundraising at the beginning of the year in Jan the independent funders have already put a stop to funding us as well as similar organsiations.

No funding (from anywhere) = no resource, no resources = mean kids bored, children and young people bored = discontent, discontent = Well, lets see shall we?  We will see the direct effect that making cuts will have on us all, in all sectors not just the arts. We provide lots of different services for children and youth under one roof. And although it is all based under the pretty banner of ‘free’ play, play will be cut, arts will be cut, any funders who happily gave money for Arts workshop/activities will disappear.

Sustainability is a word I hear bandied around. Other than to rent a small hallway how do you sell ‘free’ play? And to who? Before you know it, we will be told to charge an entrance fee and charge for each workshop activity.

But you see, although we get commissioned to run the centre, I no longer believe we should have to crawl over glass to be grateful for the funding we get. We do a job, it just so happens we love that job (most times!), we put more into it than we probably should, but we do it never the less. There is a need, there for the borough and funders should see this. How many years have to go by until we realise if you forsake the children and youth of this country and believe that this won't have a direct effect, we will continue to end up with a society that doesn’t give a toss about anything or anyone unless it has a pound sign stamped into it.

So when you think of ‘oh well, everyone is getting cut, we all have to make sacrifices...’ Think on, especially if you have children and you use one of your free resources in your community... The day you roll up after school and the gates to your favourite funded organisation is closed, shouldn’t be the day you realise just what you had on your doorstep. CUTS have a direct effect on all of us. Just like politics. If you close your eyes to it, it crawls up behind you and bites you on the arse.

I would say that from what I have read and what I have listened too on the news and on forums, that there quite a few people who seem to think that this will have no direct effect on them as individuals or their families. This will have an impact on the UK and not just in the inner city, but in smaller rural communities. To some, it only concerns those they see as posh or rich and who step out to the Ballet or Opera: what does it matter if a few performances in the West End get cut.

If they only realised that these cuts will also hit grassroots organisation, many of which work with children and youth. It would be great if you now see the need to go sign the petition and pass it on to your mates! http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-arts.html

My Comment on Haptrees blog.

Over the years change has already taken place in our society and groups that run organisations for young people based around the arts will be directly hit and the results of this could be more unrest and more young people feeling isolated, not listened to and with nothing better to do than to find other less attractive activities to keep themselves occupied in their communities. Not the case for all, but for many. If you cut the funding of the resources available to those kids, there will be a backlash of some sort in communities and in the greater society eventually. So don't think that cutting the arts means Opera and just theatre.

This funding the government give organisations does a job and isn't, as the media would like you to think, just flittered away on nonsense. We can all close our eyes and pretend that the arts are just for the people who live on the hill... But if you do choose to close your eyes, you're about to reap the seed that you sew and in the next few years you will see the results.