Speaking after an event that brought together the heads of 23 of England's leading regional theatres, Boyle told the Guardian that the lack of attention to the arts shown by the culture secretary, Maria Miller, was "outrageous".
"Not one of those [artistic directors, including Hytner] has been even approached by this woman," he said.
"That is outrageous. This is cultural life of our country. She is the minister of fucking culture. I mean, come on."I thought the ‘minister of fucking culture' was the recently-booted out Mr John 'Secretary Shagger' Prescott?
Boyle, Hytner and the 23 other directors, including Erica Whyman from Northern Stage and Gemma Bodinetz from the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, had gathered to argue the claims of English regional theatre as pressure on their funding increases.Ah, yes, we’ve been here before, haven’t we?
English theatre was, they said, a delicate ecosystem of creative life, nurturing the talents on which events such as the Olympic ceremonies depended.
But, they argued, it is threatened by cuts to public spending, especially from under-pressure local authority budgets. Speaking of the value of theatre in the English regions,
Boyle said: "What they provide is something else to believe in … Something in our cities and towns that isn't Wetherspoons and Walkabout pubs and Mario Balotelli and John Terry."I see the hyperbole and exaggeration is flowing like...well,. like fine wine at the Arts Council events.
He added that politicians such as Miller appeared to want "to just swan around with the blooming glamour stuff" rather than undertake serious conversations with those at the sharp end of supporting creativity in the regions.Riiight. The 'sharp end', eh, Boyle? Good lord, you're not in the trenches, man! Maybe, just maybe, you aren't as worthy of praise and exaltation as your circle of luvvies keeps telling you?
This is funnier than the time Polly mounted her Steed of Outrage and started hacking about with her Sword of Dudgeon. Or Rosie Millard's weeping and wailing over the failure of the ConDems to keep the money flowing into things the public just won't pay money to see...
Speaking about the situation in Newcastle, Whyman, who is about to take up a post as deputy artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, said her own organisation had been warned that Newcastle council is considering, unwillingly, completely scrapping its arts budget in the next three years.
"This is not the decision they want to have to make; but they are putting on the table the possibility of removing arts funding," said Whyman.
"If they take that decision, or even a decision less serious than that, it will devastate the cultural landscape. [Newcastle] will not be that home that people are as proud of as they are now."*looks around at cultural landscape* Oh, it seems to be doing OK to me.
Slightly o/t, but it illustrates the principle at work: an artist I know, who has made a living for several decades mainly from commissioned work, recently contacted a gallery venue with a view to hiring it for an exhibition.
ReplyDeleteThe gallery manager elaborated expansively on the facilities available and the council-funded publicity that would be arranged - until, that is, the fly in the ointment emerged.
Turns out that they won't let you use the gallery unless you are funded by grants; if you are running a successful business selling your work, they don't want to know you.
My friend, who has never received a penny in public funding, was given a clear message; however many people are willing to pay for it, if it works commercially, it doesn't count as art.
Bunny
ReplyDeleteIf like Newcastle my local council when in dear old Blighty were to stop funding the arts, it might take a more positive interest in their actions. Well done Newcastle keep up the good work.
"... devastate the cultural landscape"
ReplyDeleteSeriously?
They have the Angel of the North. Can't the plebs be bussed out to look at that for a couple of hours. How much bloody culture do they need?
Last time I was in Newcastle I saw a pissed stained mattress laying in the street. I thought it was one of Tracy Emin's finest works until a council wagon hauled it away.
And finally, did anyone actually see (or indeed know what happened) to the half million Pound publicly funded island being towed around the UK for the Olympics?
Bunny,
ReplyDeleteJohn the question should be did anyone care about the publicly funded island? Actually the only thing I cared about was...'it cost how much!' followed by ffs
Mea Culpa. In the turmoil of Local Government Reorganisation of the winter of 1973-74, one afternoon, in a hurry, I knocked off a policy document on Arts And The Community to shut some of the members up. To my surprise it became something of a model. The reason for the urgency was that I had tickets for a football match that evening.
ReplyDeleteXX nurturing the talents on which events such as the Olympic ceremonies depended. XX
ReplyDeleteQuite.
Bunny,
ReplyDeleteLouisiana Purchase = $11 Million
Alaska Purchase = $7 Million
5 Tons of Norwegian Rock = £500,000
A bargain, surely? Although similar could be had from the local B&Q for about £500. But what's three zeros when the public are paying?
FT,
I'm sure all those out-of-work mill owners and chimney sweeps were ever so grateful when Danny Boyle and the Olympics came along.
What the hell would this Government (or any politician, or Tracy Emin, come to that) know about culture? I've seen better cultures in apetrie dish!
ReplyDeletePenseivat
Didn't the DCMS pay for Mr Boyle's talents, already? (Yiddish accent).
ReplyDeleteYou know, before the Arts Council existed there was nothing "cultural" in the whole of the UK: no theatre, no opera, no literature, no art, no museums, no art galleries, nothing. It's only thanks to the Arts Council and local authority funding that anything vaguely cultural exists. Now, due to the Tory cutz, we expect the "vulnerable" to live in caves while the government is out there fomenting child and fuel poverty, closing universities and schools and removing the police from their vital work indoors. Where will it end?
ReplyDeleteThe solution is clear. Only a fully taxpayer-supported English Regional Theatre with its own ministry and a seat in the cabinet can provide a lifeline until Labour returns in all its glory in 2015.
"... provide a lifeline until Labour returns in all its glory in 2015"
ReplyDeleteAmen to that. I'll break out the crayons and finger paints while we wait.
/sarcasm ;-)
"...was given a clear message; however many people are willing to pay for it, if it works commercially, it doesn't count as art."
ReplyDeleteUgh! Filthy lucre indeed! The only clean money is public money...
"And finally, did anyone actually see (or indeed know what happened) to the half million Pound publicly funded island being towed around the UK for the Olympics?"
An island?!? *speechless*
"To my surprise it became something of a model. The reason for the urgency was that I had tickets for a football match that evening."
LOL!!
"Didn't the DCMS pay for Mr Boyle's talents, already? (Yiddish accent)."
Heh! Indeed...