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What Recession?
Other | Tuesday 4th September 2012 | Osh
The Recession. How many times has that phrase been used amongst the media in recent years? The industries are downsizing whilst education is increasing and therefore, unsurprisingly, there are more and more graduates seeking opportunities and consequently they find themselves unemployed. But we already know this. What isn’t as obvious is that the industry that has been picked to succeed, or at least is far more equipped to battle the oncoming hardships, is the Creative Arts.
Traditionally, in the recessions of the past, Hollywood has prospered, creating heroes for us in dark times such as Batman. Hasn’t Christopher Nolan timed his trilogy brilliantly? But this time, the British Government has recognised the potential for the Arts to contribute significantly to the economy. Music, cinema, fashion, theatre and art lead the way in fueling a lateral thinking economy and consequently contribute a staggering £24billion pounds to Britain annually.
Okay, but what does this mean for us? We get more funding to follow our ambitions. We also get more art to fuel our creative desires. Remember how amazing Latitude festival in Suffolk was this year? Bon Iver, Paul Weller and Elbow alongside other local artistic innovations, all made possible by Arts Council England who contribute up to £2.4billion to the arts a year. So, dust off that guitar in your basement, pick up that paintbrush and get your festival gear ready, because music and art are going nowhere. We may even see more festivals and acts continue to emerge over the next few years. We are in exciting, not dark, times.
By Emily Kay
