There’s No Business like Show Business

Outrage has spread across the country after the release of a government retraining ad. The ad depicts a Ballerina who doesn’t know if her “next job could be in cyber”. It has already been parodied a number of times by artists who have not held back in expressing their disgust. 

Disclaimer:

It must be said that the ad is not a stand-alone attack on the arts. It’s part of a campaign which encourages workers in various sectors to “Rethink. Retrain. Reboot”.

The Rethink Reskill Reboot campaign is run by training company QA in partnership with UK Gov and NCSC to encourage people in existing jobs to consider a career in Cyber.

As you can see here, it’s not just the arts. https://t.co/0Cuy1m9omH pic.twitter.com/8Eogc7Aglh

— Alistair Coleman (@alistaircoleman) October 12, 2020

Unfortunately, this poster has been a victim of poor timing. The ad has been shared not long after Rishi Sunak’s retraining comments, which were also misconstrued as being aimed directly at the arts industry. Naturally, artists are still riding on that wave of fury.

Ultimately, the ad has left many feeling as though government is failing to see the extent of the arts social and economic value. 

 

The Literal Value of the Arts

Given the current economic trouble which the UK is facing in lockdown, it seems laughable that the government appears to be encouraging artists to retrain. A government press release published earlier this year in February 2020 revealed that the UK’s Creative Industries were feeding almost £13 million into our economy every hour.

In April of last year a report from Arts Council England showed that the Arts and Culture industry contributes over £10.8 Billion to the UK economy each year. A report by the Guardian in the same month claimed that this contribution was more than the agriculture industry.

The Real Value of the Arts:

Beyond the financial incentives, there are much richer reasons to support the arts. Especially in the ‘new normal’ we find ourselves in, the arts have been a rock for many who have felt lost or scared. People have instinctively flocked to streaming services, bookshelves and Social Media to find an escape from the difficult realities of current life. 

In the health industry, the arts have provided crucial non-medical support. One example among many can be seen in the recent programme, “Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure”. This inspiring BBC docu-series focused on the power of music in helping those suffering in various stages of Dementia. 

In another area of the industry, an article published by the Mental Health Foundation last year shared the urgent need for innovative and effective treatments, claiming that the arts were the answer. They stressed the important of engaging in creative outlets in order to create a space for social connection which subsequently promotes well-being. One quote from the article reads:

“Getting involved with the arts can have powerful and lasting effects on health. It can help to protect against a range of mental health conditions, help manage mental ill health and support recovery”

In education, the arts have been shown to improve learning skills, enhance social skills, and increase creativity.

Music, art and dance are used across the world as vehicles for social cohesion in areas where tension may exist. On a local level in Northern Ireland, countless community organisations host arts-based workshops as a means of facilitating cross-community efforts between politically-opposed communities.

The list of benefits is endless.

 

The Real Things You Can Do:

Feeling angry yet? Here’s how you can help out:

• Shop with small business for Christmas this year: Sometimes the bigger price tags can be a little bit off-putting but  you can make a big difference by supporting small businesses. There are infinite options out there and I guarantee you can find better quality versions of most, if not all, products sold by bigger corporations.
• Stream Music: Simply listening to music supports artists by increasing their figures. The more plays you get, the more likely you are to appear in someone’s recommendations.
• Engage with artists on social media: If you’re not in a position to financially support your favourite artists, you can still help! Unfortunately, Instagram seem to rejig their algorithms on a daily basis, making things difficult for smaller artists. The best thing you can do for them is like, favourite, share, and comment more than 5 words on their posts. If you’re supporting them on Facebook remember to comment, react (rather than like), and share their posts.
• Stay Local: The lack of support for artists is on a local level. By all means continue supporting your big-name favourites. However, remember to look into the local talent who are trying to make a living out of what they love. Support the dreamers.
• Write to your local Councillor: Make sure your voice is heard. Write to your local Councillors and let them know that this is a problem.

 

Amy Murray

Tweet to @Amy_Nomey