Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, and Other Artists Sign an Open Letter Warning That the UK Could Become a ‘Cultural Wasteland’ Without Urgent Funding

Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, and Bob and Roberta Smith are among
more than 400 artists and cultural figures who are warning that the
UK risks losing half of its creative businesses and becoming a
“cultural wasteland” unless the government finds a better way to
financially support them.

The open letter, addressed to UK chancellor Rishi Sunak and
culture secretary Oliver Dowden, was penned by the head of the
Creative Industry Federation, Caroline Norbury, after research
showed that the existing provisions did not cover everyone. A
recent survey of 2,000 institutions and individuals by the
federation showed that only one in seven organizations have the
resources to stay operational through the end of April, and only
half can see their reserves lasting beyond June. More than
half of the UK’s creative organizations and professionals have lost
all of their income.

“We must act, and act fast,” Norbury writes in the letter. “We
call on the government to implement urgent funding for creative and
cultural organisations impacted by the fall-out of Covid-19.” The
letter says that the UK’s creative industries are in “deep
trouble,” and that thousands of creative organizations and
freelancers are falling through the cracks of the government’s
existing provisions for the sector.

Art world figures who signed the letter include Grayson Perry,
Jeremy Deller, and the director of the Whitechapel Gallery, Iwona
Blazwick. Other cultural leaders who signed include musicians Nick
Cave and Rufus Wainwright, and actors such as Stephen Fry.

The government launched a £160 million
($199 million) emergency fund for artists and creative
organizations in England in March but not everyone has been
eligible to apply for the bailout. Some are facing similar issues
with the chancellor’s plan to pay self-employed workers up to 80
percent of their recent earnings.

Phillipine Nguyen, the co-founder and director of the Art Night
charity says that its fifth edition was cancelled because of the
virus, and she is unsure they will be able to survive the crisis.
“We’re a small charity, but our activities have a huge impact on
our sector, audiences, freelancers, and all the ecosystem we work
with,” Nguyen said.

“Arts and culture will be needed more than ever as we re-emerge
and reimagine our future,” Lilli Geissendorfer, the director of the
arts funding body Jerwood Arts said in a statement urging the
government to step in. “Artists, curators and producers of all
kinds contribute immense joy, compassion, and meaning to our
communities and are critical to alleviating the social, health and
wellbeing challenges of Covid-19. They are going bust now.”

The post Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, and Other Artists Sign
an Open Letter Warning That the UK Could Become a ‘Cultural
Wasteland’ Without Urgent Funding appeared first on artnet
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