NPO? No Pretentious Over-ambition

I don’t think I have ever tweeted, re-tweeted, blogged, watched, listened or read as much about the UK performing arts scene as I have this afternoon as the listings of the Arts Council‘s National Portfolio Organisations were announced.  While it would be tempting to remind all those who do not see their names appearing that there has always been an application process and money was never guaranteed, it would be difficult not to see the announcements as being funding “cuts” due to the emotional connection and the level of dependency that some organisations have (misguidedly) placed upon ACE funding.

I make this point purely because a cut implies something is being taken away, damaged, removed or stopped suddenly and I don’t see that as being the case today.  As I said earlier, funding is given after an application is made.  The very change in name from Regularly Funded Organisation to National Portfolio Organisations makes a clear distinction – this is a windfall that you might receive, not a fund which you were guaranteed which is is now being taken away or stopped mid-term.

The need for organisations to find alternative sources of income has long been on the cards and while some organisations certainly have the resources (talented fundraisers) or stable funding bases, such the Barbican Centre with its core funding from the City of London Corporation or angels in the form of high net-worth individuals, no one can rest on their laurels.  I wonder how many of the “cut” organisations have sat back year after year and watched the ACE money roll in while indulging their often short-sighted, ego-driven artistic output which adds nothing to the UK arts scene and was so protectionist and weak artistically that it had to be confined to touring.  The fact that Shared Experience has been completely dropped from the funding portfolio should be a wake up call to all those who follow(ed) in their footsteps.  That the Arts Council will continue to fund such organisations for a further financial year to help them acclimatise to a financial climate that was prophesied years ago is too much good grace in my opinion.

If these organisations had adopted a partnership model and had kept the values of ACE’s funding strategies at their core, as opposed to trying to shoehorn their own artistic ambitions into the criteria, they may have seen a better outcome.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to forge ahead in your own artistic direction but to expect ACE to foot the bill is arrogance of the tallest order.  There’s a place where you can do exactly what you want – it’s called commercial theatre and we’ll see just how long you survive there.

This may seem harsh but let’s not forget such organisations have stood by and criticised the West End for being low brow, commercially minded and populist – yet commercial producers have seldom relied on the backing of the Arts Council to fund their works, relying on private investment and, more importantly, a good product that would sell.  One wonders what wonders theatre companies could produce if they were willing to learn from their commercial cousins on the West End.  Of course now perhaps they will be forced back to school.  I suspect though that such organisations will sink without a trace.

Of course, the fact that any arts organisation should have funding dropped is a travesty brought upon a great UK industry by a government whom seem intent on sending us back to the dark ages.  This is a concern that will grow in coming years as the full impact of decisions made over the last year will begin to come into effect.  Of course, many projects, quangos and organisations which support genuinely good work will already have funding assured for the short term.  It is the projects in their infancy now which will lack the necessary support which will then be noticed later on.  It was interesting to note on Twitter that for the cost of two Apache helicopters, all of the 204 dropped organisations could have been funded.  Do we need two more Apache helicopters?  Would not comissioning two Apache helicopters result is less job losses than the NPO funding changes?  More lives lost?  Less oil revenue?  I have absolutely no idea, but it is an interesting comparison and it is clear how and where our country’s policy makers organise their priorities.

I am absolutely thrilled, however, at the news that Mercury Musical Developments and Perfect Pitch Musicals (headed up by Andy Barnes) are to be added to the portfolio.  Not only does this mean that the development of British musical theatre is being funded, but this is also a landmark decision for the Arts Council which delivers upon their epiphany that musical theatre is worth funding and needs to be funded.  It was previously considered to be too commercial and low brow and so ACE continued to fund much of the egotistical wankery that made the UK arts scene a laughing stock and saw the West End dominated by Broadway transfers.  What is touching is that Andy Barnes and MMD were long in the business without funding and stayed the course.  I highly doubt you will ever see either of these new NPOs viewing ACE funding as an entitlement as opposed to what it is – a gift.