Two new reports suggest the arts still have a inclusivity problem. But Gateshead’s Baltic shows how it can be done
The arts are a problem. That’s worrying for a culture columnist like me. A survey among 5,000 people for Arts Council England (Ace) concludes that many are uncomfortable with the term “the arts”, associating it simply with opera and ballet. Around half the population also never enters a theatre or gallery because they are intimidated by the buildings themselves (“walled barriers”).
Tomorrow, Ace will try to address these problems by publishing its strategy for the next decade. Let’s Create will, I gather, place emphasis on people’s own creativity, with a particular push for young people, rather than Ace’s historic priority of putting money into cultural productions and institutions. It will now give communities, whether in villages or cities, more chance to influence culture offerings, following examples such as the Cultural Spring in Sunderland and a thriving arts bash in Efford, a deprived part of Plymouth.
