For the first time in almost a decade, those at the forefront of the arts in Wales have been asked to comment on what the future holds for the sector.
Experts in ‘futures’ at the University of Glamorgan’s Business School have been working with the sector’s movers and shakers to paint a picture of what arts and culture in Wales might look like in 2025.
Using innovative techniques, not used before to explore the future of this sector in Wales, a report launched this week anticipates some of the changes that might impact on the arts in coming years.
The Centre for Research into Futures and Innovation at the University of Glamorgan’s Business School was commissioned by Arts Council of Wales to to give arts leaders and practitioners an opportunity to have their say.
Martin Rhisiart Director of the Centre at the University said, “We looked at the main elements that might affect the future of arts and culture in Wales and used these significant drivers of change as the basis of our discussions with arts professionals. We carried out our in-depth survey anonymously and on-line, using the latest American software, so that participants felt that they could speak freely and give us an honest account of what they felt the future has in store.”
Futures research is unique because it multi-disciplinary and takes into account trends that may have an impact on society, the economy and the environment. The findings of the report take into account the social, cultural, economic and environmental influences that affect the sector in Wales.
Some of the key attitudes expressed by those in the industry include:
1. Increased devolution over the next decade will have a big impact on the arts in Wales.
2. More funding allocated for arts activities as a means of ‘social therapy’ could lead to less government funding for large scale arts projects.
3. Bilingualism policy is becoming a costly end in itself and not a delivery mechanism
4. Consumers in the arts are older than the average for other fields and some felt the growing demographic of older people will reinforce this trend.
5. Economic downturns will have an impact on audience levels. Community arts are an example of an area that will grow in size and importance.
6. Advances in technology will lead to increased participation in the arts but also to less work being available for artists in some areas of artistic activity.
7. There will be increasing pressure to commercialise the arts to produce creative ‘businesses’
8. One third of those questioned thought that climate change could force the need for more localised arts provision.
Taking these factors into account experts at the university ‘predicted’ four possible futures facing the arts in Wales, each given its own unique title:
Future Scenario 1, ‘Fire in my heart’ – Primarily a traditional conservative audience with a preference for the classics and renewing existing art forms. Audiences made up of a mainly aging population. Traditional Welsh language art forms flourish.
Future Scenario 2, ‘Wonderful Electric’ – Experimental; audiences with an appetite for novelty. Younger demographic and a de-emphasis on traditional art forms. Much technological experimentation.
Future Scenario 3, ‘California Dreamin’ –Concentration on new art forms facilitated by new media and technology. Highly commercial and consumer driven. Art without criticism.
Future Scenario 4, ‘Karaoke Queen’ – Popularism at work; entertainment heavily influenced by mainstream media. More emphasis on value for money, ‘More of the same for less’ theory.
Martin Rhisiart continued, “Developing these four visions of how the different futures could look for the arts in Wales provides a very real analysis of what the sector could look like in fifteen years time. Although the future is inherently uncertain, the range of analytical tools we have used mean that we have been able to incorporate all of these variables to come up with very real scenarios based on the views of those most critical to the development to arts and culture. The ‘futures’ can help in generating strategic conversations and anticipate changes to shape the future.”
For a full copy of the report visit: http://futures.research.glam.ac.uk/projects/arts/
