Download - ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
1/142
The Arts Debate
Findings of Research among the
General Public
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
2/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
2 February 2007
Prepared for:
COI, on behalf of its client, Arts Council England
Prepared by:
Creative Research
43 The Broadway
London W13 9BP
Tel: 020 8567 6974
Fax: 020 8567 6979
Email: [email protected]
Job No: 539
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
3/142
Table of Contents
Page
1 Summary of Findings and Conclusions .......................................................... 11.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 11.2 Summary of Findings ................................................................................... 11.3 Conclusions and Challenges........................................................................ 6
2 Introduct ion ..................................................................................................... 142.1 Background and Research Objectives....................................................... 142.2 Research Method....................................................................................... 152.3 The Sample for the Research .................................................................... 152.4 Timing of the Research.............................................................................. 192.5 The Content of the Discussions ................................................................. 192.6 Structure of the Report............................................................................... 20
3 What is Art? What are the Arts? ................................................................... 223.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 223.2 What Counts as Art?.................................................................................. 223.3 What Makes Something Art? ..................................................................... 253.4 The Response to Conceptual Art ............................................................... 363.5 What are the Arts?..................................................................................... 39
4 Accessibi lity of the Arts and Obstacles to Greater Engagement ............... 424.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 424.2 Engagement with the Arts.......................................................................... 424.3 Motivation for Engagement ........................................................................ 434.4 Perceived Accessibility .............................................................................. 454.5 Changes in Accessibility over Time ........................................................... 484.6 Barriers to Engagement ............................................................................. 494.7 Psychological Obstacles to Attendance ..................................................... 504.8 Tangible Obstacles to Attendance ............................................................. 594.9 Obstacles to Participation .......................................................................... 66
5 Benefits of the Arts ......................................................................................... 705.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 70
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
4/142
5.2 Are the Arts Beneficial? ............................................................................. 705.3 What are the Benefits? .............................................................................. 735.4 Benefits of the Arts for the Actively Involved.............................................. 86
6 Public Funding of the Arts and the Role of the Arts Counci l ...................... 886.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 886.2 Awareness and Expectations of the Arts Council....................................... 886.3 Response to Information about ACE.......................................................... 926.4 Expectations of how the Arts are Funded .................................................. 956.5 Response to Information about Public Funding of the Arts ........................ 976.6 Experience of Applying for Funding ......................................................... 100
7 Priorities for Arts Council Funding ............................................................. 1037.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 1037.2 Funding Criteria ....................................................................................... 1037.3 Reasons Not to Fund............................................................................... 1127.4 Other Ideas .............................................................................................. 1157.5 Impact on Perceptions of the Arts Council ............................................... 1197.6 Accountability of Fundees........................................................................ 1237.7 National Lottery Funds............................................................................. 126
8 Impact of the Discussion.............................................................................. 1279 Conclusions and Challenges ....................................................................... 132
9.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 1329.2 The Value Placed on the Arts .................................................................. 1329.3 Funding Priorities and their Perceived Value ........................................... 1329.4 Implications for the Arts Council............................................................... 1349.5 Implications for Fundees.......................................................................... 1369.6 Increasing Engagement with the Arts ...................................................... 1369.7 What do we call it? ................................................................................... 138
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
5/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-1-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
1 Summary of Findings and Conclusions1.1 Introduction
In twenty discussion groups and ten interviews across England, some 170
people talked at length and in detail about their attitudes to the arts and the
impact of the arts on their lives as the basis of this piece of research which
begins the arts debate with the general public. The sample was structured
according to a number of variables; socio-economic grade, lifestage and level
of engagement with the arts principally. While peoples attitudes towards and
opinions of the arts were, to an extent, influenced by the first two of these, it
was the third (perhaps predictably) that produced the sharpest differences. It
was also notable that on a number of issues, there was a commonality of view
that cut across all the variables.
This executive summary provides a brief overview of the findings according to
the principal themes. It then goes on to set out our conclusions based on
those findings and some suggestions for what they might mean for the Arts
Council. We appreciate that they are our personal views, albeit founded on
the research findings, and but one contribution to the debate. We offer them
as points for further discussion.
1.2 Summary of Findings
1.2.1 What is art? What are the arts?
The discussion around the age old issue of what is art proved very interesting
and thought-provoking. Examples of what counted as art ranged from visual
art or even simply fine art, through a broad range of traditional art forms,
design disciplines, crafts, artisan and domestic skills. Some respondents
included types of sport, natural phenomena, intellectual pursuits such as
science and maths, and everyday activities like playing games or socialising
in their definition; a case could be made for considering all as candidates.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
6/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-2-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
However, from the threads of the various discussions, there seemed to be
three components to what truly made something a work of art; if something
had all three in great abundance, then it might be deemed a great work but if
lacking in certain components, it might simply be art or perhaps a creative
activity. The three components are: the original creative idea, the skill and
effort that goes into executing that idea and transforming it into an end
product, and the achievement of a response from an audience.
Other factors also came into play in deciding whether something was art; the
distinction between art and entertainment, the context in which the piece is
viewed, fashion and marketability, personal taste and the quality of the end
product. Given its profile, it is perhaps unsurprising that the issue of
conceptual art was raised early on and strong views were voiced. The
attitudes of those for and against it can be seen in the context of their views
about what makes something art.
The arts, by contrast, prompt a far more closed and constrained response.
They are not seen as a collection of things that one might call art but have a
particular meaning that is focused on traditional, and what are perceived aselitist, art forms.
1.2.2 Accessibility of the arts and obstacles to greater engagement
Access to the arts was not identified as a significant problem. Except for some
exceptions where there was a lack of provision for certain age groups in
certain locations, and where cost prevented greater frequency of
engagement, respondents felt they could access the arts if they really wanted
to. For many among the low engaged, there was no need for the arts to be
more accessible they felt they simply would not take advantage of the
opportunities.
Many older, more middle class respondents, felt that the arts should be more
accessible to those who had few opportunities but they also recognised thatany such attempts to engage such people might be rebuffed.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
7/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-3-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
While people were able to identify many things that hindered greater
engagement with the arts and these were often shared across groups, there
was little sense that, in themselves, they were necessarily insuperable
barriers and a number admitted they were really excuses. The twin barriers
were therefore shown to be a lack of motivation and inertia.
The obstacles identified as getting in the way of engagement with the arts and
therefore contributing to these barriers divided into the psychological; the
perceptions and preconceptions that reside within people, and the more
tangible obstacles, the things out there over which they feel they have little
control. The former breaks down into
- concern that an event or performance or visit wont be worth it
- peer pressure
- feelings of exclusion or being unwelcome
- uncertainty about dress code and etiquette.
The latter into
- cost
- time
- distance to travel and issues of getting there
- having someone to go with
- booking problems and uncertainty about seating arrangements
- awareness of what is on.
Except among the young, there was not a great call for more opportunities to
actively participate in the arts. Many of the obstacles were the same but the
most significant was that of a lack of confidence in ones ability and the fear of
feeling embarrassed or stupid if embarking on something new.
Respondents were able to offer some suggestions for overcoming these
obstacles.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
8/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-4-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
1.2.3 Benefits of the arts
There was broad agreement that the arts offer a range of benefits to
individuals and society. Even though some of the low engaged felt those
benefits were less relevant to their own lives, they acknowledged that they
applied to others. The most top of mind benefits were those that had personal
resonance for people; the provision of entertainment and pleasure (universally
appreciated), the enrichment of their lives, the opportunity to express oneself
and communicate with others, a sense of identity for individuals and
communities and the improvement of mental and physical health. Other
social, educational, political and economic benefits were also acknowledged
but they did not seem to have the same impact.
1.2.4 Public funding of the arts and the role of the Arts Council
Only a few respondents had a fairly detailed picture of what the Arts Council
does, of whom a few had either applied for funding in the past or considered
it. Many had heard of the Arts Council but had little idea of its role and somemisunderstandings were evident. There was some association of the Council
with what were seen as the more traditional arts and a perception that either
the largest national companies received most of the funding or that funds
were awarded to politically correct or simply daft projects. There was also
questioning of who might sit on the Council and how they were selected.
In general, the attitude was fairly neutral however and when participants were
given some facts about the Arts Council, they responded positively and with
interest. Its regional decision-making structure, independence from
Government, priorities up to 2008 and examples of funded projects
contradicted what people had suspected. However, its mission and the fact
that it had been around for 60 years led some to feel they should have seen
more evidence of the Arts Council in their local areas.
There was broad acceptance of the need for public funding of the arts; withoutit the arts scene would be much poorer in quality and less accessible. The
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
9/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-5-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
level of current funding was unknown but at 39p per household per week,
seemed very reasonable. However, the total annual spend was seen as
significant and again, the expectation was that it should be seen to be
touching peoples lives. The key questions for most were therefore how were
the funds allocated and against which criteria, questions that they found they
had the opportunity to comment on.
1.2.5 Priorities for Arts Council funding
When asked to take on the role of decision makers at the Arts Council,
respondents did not find it an easy task and this led to some empathy with
those that actually do the job.
When making decisions about which projects to fund, most of the criteria that
were applied were those with a social purpose; they should deliver benefits to
society, they should reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible,
people should gain something positive from the experience and the benefits
should last beyond the period of funding. It was not surprising therefore thatmany of the projects that respondents would fund were based in communities.
In addition, there was a strand of funding that was aimed at preserving
flagship companies and organisations because of the excellence they
exemplified, the source of inspiration they represented for young artists and
the role they performed as part of Englands heritage. This strand came with
conditions however; the desire was to see such high profile companies
become less dependent on public funding whilst justifying their considerable
public funds by ensuring greater access for ordinary people.
The sorts of projects that respondents were reluctant to fund were those that
seemed to support an individual in realising their own (often commercial)
ambitions. It was felt that they, like certain more commercial organisations,
should be able to raise funding from sources other than the public purse. For
individuals, however, the idea of the Arts Council providing loans rather than
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
10/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-6-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
grants or insisting on some community benefit was more acceptable. Public
art was also an area that most chose not to support.
While many were impressed by the diversity of projects that the Arts Council
funds and the audiences that they reach, questions remained about the
balance of funding and how decisions were made. Some also felt that they
had not seen projects that they felt were ambitious or exciting enough in terms
of inspiring new audiences.
There was a call for greater transparency in the Arts Councils decision-
making, the inclusion of a public voice as part of this, the sharing of good
practice among potential and existing fundees, and consideration of how
those that receive funds can be made accountable in a way that is not
unwieldy, constraining or costly.
1.3 Conclusions and Challenges
1.3.1 The value placed on the arts
We conclude that this research demonstrates that the arts are seen as
offering enormous public value.
It shows that among the general public who are given the opportunity to
explore their experience of the arts and discuss the place of the arts in their
lives, there is an appreciation that the arts are of personal value to them,
albeit of varying levels. They may prefer to call their chosen art forms
entertainment in order to distance themselves from more conventional art
forms, but there is an acceptance that their lives are touched by the arts when
a broader definition is applied.
More strikingly, there is overwhelming agreement that the arts perform an
important and valuable role within society generally. A long list of benefits
offered by the arts is readily accepted and those who are less engaged with
the arts recognise their value to others, if not for themselves. The idea of aworld without the arts is abhorrent to all and there is widespread acceptance
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
11/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-7-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
of the importance of supporting the arts with public money. There is an
almost universal call for children to be brought up with exposure to the arts,
for their own sake and for that of wider society.
1.3.2 Funding priorities and their perceived value
Given its mission, to put the arts at the heart of national life and people at the
heart of the arts,and the fact that the Arts Council distributes public funds, it
is not surprising that the criteria that are given top priority in making funding
decisions are
- benefiting society at large
- reaching as many people as possible
- deriving lasting benefits.
Great value is put on community based projects that will deliver benefits for
individuals and wider society whereas other areas of funding lead to negative
opinions about the delivery of public value. The most contentious areas are
- high levels of funding for the large, national companies
- funding for individuals and
- public art (which often happens to be conceptual).
If these are to be areas of funding for the Arts Council, then their value needs
to be communicated.
The problem for the national companies and organisations seems to be their
ready association with elitist arts that much of the population is not interested
in or if they are interested, are unable to access. There was little appreciation
of efforts they are currently making to try to widen access or these are thought
to be ineffective. Their principal role is seen as an exemplar of excellence in
their specific art forms and in their ability to engender a sense of national
pride. They represent a legacy for the future, something to which the young
people engaged in the national youth organisations, for example, can aspire.
While this perceived value justifies funding to a degree, there is a need to
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
12/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-8-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
communicate how public funding is employed and what is achieved through it.
Moreover, if the public are correct in their suspicion that access is not being
widened as a result of current funding, then perhaps different techniques to
encourage new audiences are needed.
Mainstream thinking is that public art funded by the public does not deliver
value either because people find it hard to understand (and dont wish to find
out what it is about) and/or the context in which it resides (e.g. outside a
hospital, in the middle of a roundabout) affects perceptions of its value (the
money would be better spent inside the hospital). High profile and admittedly,
semi-figurative works such as the Angel of the North seem to have more
chance of being assigned value, even if they take time to grow on you.
The funding of individual artists was not seen as being of great benefit to
society; the launch of a career and commercial success were not the outputs
that the public envisaged from Arts Council funded projects. If this funding is
to continue, then perhaps messages about the needs of the artist, size of the
awards, the matching of funding and repayment if success results, may be
helpful in changing perceptions.
Alternatively, given that the commercial motive is one of which the public is so
suspicious especially when it comes to the use of public funds, then perhaps
the Arts Council (and Government) should give the economic importance of
the arts greater emphasis in communications on the subject.
1.3.3 Implications for the Arts Council
The first implication of the varying levels of approval for different types of
projects, is perhaps to raise the question of whether the Arts Council should
establish more clearly defined funding streams possibly, community
projects, national companies and individual artists. This might help public
perceptions because they would see that each project was not competing for
the same pot of money but was competing for funds against similar types ofapplications. The application and decision-making processes could also be
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
13/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-9-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
tailored to the types of candidates. The real and ongoing challenge for the
Arts Council would be to decide on the size of pot available to each funding
stream.
The research revealed much latent interest in what the Arts Council is and
how it uses public money. To combat accusations of institutional exclusivity
and satisfy this interest, there is a need for the Arts Council to build a higher
profile for itself and step out from its role in the back office. This is not to say
that it should market itself through costly campaigns but it needs to create
awareness of what it is trying to achieve and what this means for the public,
artists and arts organisations.
The Arts Council needs to become associated with the broad range of
projects of a high quality that it funds and to inform people of opportunities
open to them. It should publicise the fact that information, advice and
guidance are available and be more proactive in providing this. The website
is a starting point with tools like the feasibility check suggested by one
respondent but there is an expectation of help readily available at the end of
the phone as well as staff being prepared to visit applicant groups. This couldhave serious implications for staffing and the expectations of applicants will
need careful management as they are likely to be high.
Greater transparency is required to offset the suspicion that exists about
funds going to favoured people and companies. As groups begin to feel that
the Arts Council is a potential source of funds, they will demand to know how
and why funds have been allocated, both as initial awards and as continued
funding.
The Arts Council, with its overview of publicly funded arts in England and its
mission to increase access, will need to provide information about best
practice in the arts. While the arts go hand in hand with creativity and
originality, information about the more mundane side of the operation of
community projects could be usefully shared to ensure optimum
effectiveness. This should include the sharing of lessons learned from less
successful projects.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
14/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-10-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
There is clearly a desire for members of the public to contribute to decision
making at the Arts Council alongside the specialist expertise that they
recognise as essential. The concept of a more democratic rather than
collegiate approach would seem to have some merits especially for the
community-based projects. Many of those that took part in the research
seemed to have the local insight, the ability to be open-minded and a genuine
interest in the arts and what they can offer, that would equip them to fulfil such
a role.
1.3.4 Implications for fundees
A requirement for there to be in place a clear statement of the aims of a
project or group, the monitoring of the use of funds and an evaluation of the
outcomes against aims, was seen as only common sense and as something
demanded by other funding sources. There was no desire for this process to
be complex, restrictive, costly or overly cumbersome and most assumed that
something along these lines was already in place. If the Arts Council and its
role are to become better known and its decision making is to be seen as
transparent, then the meeting of these responsibilities by fundees will be
expected and required.
1.3.5 Increasing engagement with the arts
Access to the arts is not perceived to be a major issue. Some feel that theyhave as much to do with arts as they would like; others would like to be able
to do more and claim that if certain obstacles were removed, this would make
it easier for them to do so. Certain of these obstacles are very tangible and
seem very real for example, the lack of provision for certain groups in
specific locations, and the cost of access. However, if the twin barriers
impeding greater engagement with the arts are more generally a lack of
motivation and inertia, the question seems to be, would more people engage
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
15/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-11-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
with the arts or do so more frequently if the various obstacles they cite were to
be overcome?
We suggest that the most important obstacles, especially for those we have
called the low engaged, unengaged or anti-engaged are the psychological
ones, those that prevent people even considering attending or (god forbid)
actively participating in some form of the arts. Central to any strategy for
combating these obstacles and thereby having any chance of increasing
engagement among these groups will be providing reassurance. People need
to be reassured that, whatever the art form,
- it is for people like them
- they will feel at ease
- they will enjoy it.
This is not to say that the more tangible obstacles are unimportant. If some of
these can be lowered, then perhaps they can contribute to creating this vital
reassurance. Thus, the arts need to be
- available in a popular, familiar form where the emphasis is onfun and enjoyment
- available more locally
- well publicised in the sorts of places that reach the intendedaudience
- publicised in an appealing way that tells people what they willget out of it.
We suggest that an analogy could be drawn with the way in which museumshave developed over the last twenty-five years. In the past, the focus in
museums was on the collections and exhibitions were very object based,
offered minimal interpretation and delivered very serious and academic
communication that was inaccessible to most ordinary people. They have
become places in which the emphasis is on the communication of ideas,
where multi-media, hands-on experiences happen and where learning takes
place alongside entertainment and having fun. Visitor numbers and a broadersocio-economic profile attest to their success.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
16/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-12-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
Some of the most popular and inclusive events that enable people to sample
the arts seem to be the outdoor festivals (sometimes, but not always called
arts festivals), carnival and street performance. The open nature of these
events means that anyone can wander through, they can move on if they are
not enjoying something and there are other distractions like refreshments and
the facility to socialise that add to the experience. There would therefore
seem to be an opportunity to use such events as a means of exposing people
to new and familiar art forms in a familiar setting.
Another tactic that might be exploited is using children to bring their parents
into the arts. Parents say they will respond if their children request interaction
with the arts so perhaps they should be given the opportunity to do so by
making inexpensive, local events and productions available.
1.3.6 What do we call it?
Finally, we have noted the restrictive and even negative associations for many
people of the term, the arts. The options for confronting these seem to be
- to maintain and support the accepted meaning as the
traditional arts but make these more accessible
- to create another term with a wider meaning such as arts and
entertainment
- somehow to widen and popularise the meaning of the arts.
We would favour the last of these because clearly, the arts world is always
changing and new and emerging art forms are earning their place within it.
Moreover, defining the boundaries between the arts and non-arts is not easy
as the exercise looking at what counts as art, demonstrates. The arts
therefore needs to become a flexible receptacle for a changing range of
activities perhaps defined according to the three requirements of the
creative idea, effort and skill, and gaining a response.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
17/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-13-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
We suggest that this shift in meaning is best achieved, not by a self-conscious
campaign that risks alienating the very people it seeks to engage, but instead
by a slow and more subtle repositioning of the Arts Council and its association
with a broader range of funded projects.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
18/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-14-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
2 Introduction2.1 Background and Research Objectives
In its 60th
anniversary year, the Arts Council is seeking to create a value
framework incorporating a measure of public value which, over the coming
years, will act as a driver for its policies, resource allocation and evaluation.
To help in development of the framework, the Council has instigated the arts
debate aimed at eliciting and discussing the views of a range of stakeholders
on
- how the arts are currently perceived and valued
- how the Arts Council can enhance its delivery so that it creates
greater value for the public
- how the needs of different stakeholders can be balanced against
the aspirations of the public.
For the first stage of the arts debate, the Arts Council commissioned research
among the general public looking at their experience and perceptions of the
arts. This report sets out the findings of this exploratory research. The
specific objectives were to explore how different segments of the population
experience the arts in terms of:
- perceptions of what is and should be covered under the term,
arts
- accessibility of the arts in everyday life
- perceived benefits to themselves and others
- perceived role of the arts locally, regionally, nationally and
internationally
- expectations for the future
- barriers and incentives to participating in the arts
- awareness of the Arts Council and its role
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
19/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-15-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
- attitudes to funding of the arts and how this should be prioritised.
2.2 Research Method
In order to be able to explore peoples views fully on this wide range of topics
around the core subject of the arts, a qualitative approach was adopted. The
major part of the research consisted of twenty discussion groups with
members of the public; a format that allowed people to exchange views and
bounce ideas off of each other and develop them in discussion.
In addition, ten interviews were conducted with individuals or groups of two or
three people who were actively involved in various arts activities at
grassroots level. They were either volunteer organisers of the groups or
active and long-standing participants. The purpose of these interviews was to
gain a deeper understanding of the particular benefits derived from active
participation and the funding issues faced by groups.
2.3 The Sample for the Research
2.3.1 Discussion Groups with the General Public
The twenty discussion groups were each made up of people who shared
certain characteristics; they were broadly similar in terms of their socio-
economic group (ABC1 or C2DE), their age and personal circumstances
(often called lifestage) and their level of engagement with the arts.
Participants were invited to take part in the research on the basis of their
responses to a screening questionnaire (included in the appendices).
The table on the next page summarises the structure of the sample. We have
provided further explanation of what the variables mean below this.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
20/142
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
21/142
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
22/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-18-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
participate in one or more art forms. Each group included people with
interests in different art forms and was split between men and women.
Many groups included people from BME backgrounds and overall, 14% of the
sample was Black, Asian or of dual heritage.
The groups were held across England in a mix of urban, suburban and rural
locations, with two and occasionally three groups in each government region.
Groups were held as far North as Carlisle and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as far
South as Eastleigh, to the West in Tiverton and Much Wenlock and to the
East in Great Yarmouth and Holt.
2.3.2 Interviews with the Actively Involved
The people who took part in these ten interviews were engaged in the arts in
a variety of ways. Six interviews were with people who led or participated in
arts groups. These were
- a craft club set up by a group of mothers to raise money for a
primary school but who are now considering selling their
jewellery and crafts as a business
- a community project led by a couple of women involving local
schools and residents in improving a local park; the first stage
was the design and installation of a series of mosaics in the play
area
- an annual rural arts festival
- a creative writing group based in a theatre in a market town
- a choir specialising in early English music
- an amateur dramatics group.
Two interviews were with volunteers who had set up or helped set up local
arts activities and classes for children and young people
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
23/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-19-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
- one was originally based largely on dance and was specifically
for children of African descent, but it has since broadened its
activities and audience
- the other involved saving a local community centre from
development for the local community and turning it into a centre
focused predominantly on the arts.
The final two interviews were with people who took part in the arts in some
way and in one case, with career ambitions in them
- one was with a recent graduate from a drama college who is
working part-time while auditioning for roles
- the other was with a man who had always been interested in the
arts but since becoming the victim of criminal injury and being
unable to work had turned to art (in part as therapy) and
exhibited his work.
2.4 Timing of the Research
The research was carried out in November 2006 in two waves so as to allow
for a review of progress and any modifications that might be needed mid-way.
While no changes were required to the screening questionnaire, small shifts
of emphasis were made in the group discussion guide either because we felt
we should tackle an issue in a different way or because we wished to explore
particular issues in greater depth than time had allowed thus far.
2.5 The Content of the Discuss ions
The group discussions involving people with a low level of engagement with
the arts lasted around two hours while those with people with a medium or
high level of engagement lasted up to three hours. This extended time was
felt to be essential, not just because there was a great deal to cover but
because we wished to give people the time to think about and get into the
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
24/142
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
25/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-21-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
For those with less time or inclination, the previous section provides an
executive summary of the findings and the conclusions we have drawn based
on these.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
26/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-22-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
3 What is Art? What are the Arts?3.1 Introduction
The way in which we tackled the issue of what people felt should be covered
under the term, arts, was by asking them to think about not just what wasart,
but what was notart and the things that fell somewhere in between, or things
about which they were unsure.
Each group member was given a pad of post-it notes of different colours (for
art , not artand art?) on which they wrote things that they felt fell into each
category. These were then stuck onto a wall (or boards if a wall was
unavailable) by each member while others, if they felt so inspired, could add
to their own lists. The three collections of ideas (which are provided as
amalgamated lists in the appendices) then led to a discussion in which the
reasons behind peoples choices were explored and developed.
This exercise proved extremely illuminating and whilst the particular items and
where they were placed varied, certain items and themes emerged fairly
consistently. This enabled us, after review and in a bid to save some time on
this issue, to arrive at a set of items that we could give to participants in the
second wave of research and to sort according to whether they considered
them art, not art or art?
3.2 What Counts as Art?
The immediate response of many was to think of art in terms of visual arts
and even fine art while others listed things that might commonly be seen as a
catalogue of the arts, taking in ballet, sculpture, theatre, literature and so on.
Some immediately took a broader perspective and might include crafts
(jewellery making, glass making) or aspects of design (graphic, car,
landscape, lighting) or domestic or artisan skills (breadmaking, quilting, hair
styling, bricklaying, wrought ironwork). Once more conventional boundaries
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
27/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-23-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
had been crossed by one or more group members, others might take up their
lead and follow quite willingly.
We felt that there was a greater openness to a broader definition of art among
the women than the men and possibly among younger people (though some
of the very young seemed to lack the experience and vocabulary to broaden
their thinking).
There was a notable difference in the number and range of outputs of people
who were engaged to a low level with the arts and those who were engaged
to a medium or high level. In the table below are shown what constituted art
for the two low engaged groups in the first wave of research compared with
two medium engaged groups that illustrates the difference in the scope of
their thinking.
Low Engaged, Pre-family, C2DE Low Engaged, Family, ABC1
BuildingsFilms x 2FoodFootball x 2
GraffitiOld buildingsSport - "The Art ofFootball"
ArchitectureBalletBooks x 2Buildings
Cinema x 3CookingD I YDancingGarden designMusic - all genresOperaPantomimePoetry - Shakespeare etcTelevisionThe natural world
Writing fiction booksMedium Engaged, Family, ABC1 Medium Engaged, Family, C2DE
AdvertisingAthleticsBridgesBuildingsCarpentryChessChildbirthChildrens' concerts
(strangling the cat!!)CinemaComics
ActionsArt galleriesBalletBody artComedyContemporary picturesCookingDrama
DrawingEmotionsExpression
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
28/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-24-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
ConcertsCookeryFashion designFlower arrangingGraphicsHalf a sheepHistoryMad contemporary designMathsMotor racingMusicMusicalsNature (sunset / sunrise?)NovelsPersonal photos
PrintsRock concertsScienceSexSome musicSport (eg. Football)
Fashion showsLifeLoveMarriageMosaicsPaintingRelationsSculpturesSome TV shows on artWords
From just these examples, it can be seen that the boundaries of art were
pushed out rather far by some people. Some of the perhaps more surprising
thresholds to be crossed were those relating to
- sport
- nature and natural phenomena
- intellectual pursuits such as science and maths
- everyday human activities such as sex, shopping, playinggames, socialising etc.
The most expansive might argue, for example, that essentially art is about
communication and since so much of what humans do is about
communication (and indeed, this is what makes us human), then art is an
intrinsic part of the human condition and therefore, life.
Within any art form, people might differentiate between things they would
deem to be art and those they would not.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
29/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-25-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
3.3 What Makes Something Art?
A lively and thought-provoking discussion tended to follow the display of
items; participants were sometimes frustrated that there were no simple
definitions of what made something art. They witnessed not only
disagreements within their groups but also within themselves as they
changed their mind in response to new points. Many found the discussion
very interesting nonetheless and at the end of the session, said how it had
made them more open to what art was. This also resulted in many thinking
that they were more involved with art than they had previously thought and for
most, this was a positive thought.
Distilling the various arguments that were offered, there seemed to be three
key components to what made something art. Art involves
- an initial creative idea on the part of the artist based on a desire
to communicate something
- effort and skill on the part of the artist to bring that idea to
fruition in the form of an end product
- a response to the art work from an audience.
There was much debate around each of these steps and we have tried to give
a flavour of this below.
3.3.1 The Initial Creative Idea
Before a work of art is produced, it has to reside or be created in the artists
mind as an idea that he/she wishes to express
Now I wonder if thats a clear definition? You have to thinkabout it. It has to be borne of the mind or the spirit before youcan say, This is an art form. If its just scribbled on a bit ofpaper, its not. (Retired, ABC1, High engaged, Urban)
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
30/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-26-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
Indeed, some equated creativity with art anything creative or indeed,
expressive, is art and therefore could include a DJ deciding which tracks to
play, or dancing when drunk in a club
Art is expressing your opinions and your mind through certainactivities. ((Dependent single, C2DE, Low engaged,Suburban))
Its all expressionism and all expressionisms are art in someway. (Dependent single, C2DE, Medium engaged, Rural)
It was assumed by many that the idea should be an original one (even if it had
been inspired by someone elses work) so that works that copy faithfully
something that already exists are not necessarily art
If we are just copying to learn how to do something, it is a skillthat we are using rather than if we were embroidering freehandand did something completely creative, then that would be art.(Post-family, ABC1, High engaged, Suburban)
One or two took this requirement for originality to an extreme level hence for
them, performing a play, musical or a piece of music was not art because you
were repeating what had gone before or new comedy sketches were art but
old, well-used jokes were not
To me, art is starting with an idea and ending up in a physicalcondition. For me, plays and these things couldnt be art.Maybe Im very ignorant but to me, art is an idea and creation.(Retired, C2DE, Low engaged, Urban)
The notion that to be art, the artist has to have the intention of
communicating an idea led to debate about whether something can still be art
if this is not the prime intention of the artist ie. the work is a by-product of
some other intention. A chimpanzee (or young child) might not set out to
produce an aesthetically pleasing painting but happens to do so; someone is
snapping pictures of their friends to capture a moment but one of the
photographs happens to be very good; a footballers prime motivation on the
pitch is to score goals but in doing so, he demonstrates great artistry in his
ball skills. Can these be examples of art? A number of people argued that
football, in particular, had all the elements of art
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
31/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-27-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
Sport. I am not sure if it is art, but a really good football matchwhere you have got drama and emotion and things, and gracesometimes, that could be art. (Family, ABC1, Mediumengaged, Suburban)
This creative aspect of art also fed into a discussion about whether natural
phenomena a beautiful landscape or sunset or a spiders web, for example -
could be classed as art. The majority view tended to be that since (unless
you subscribe to the notion of Intelligent Design), such phenomena are not
the result of someones creative thinking, they would not count as art. They
would only do so if someone human intervened to record them in some art
form or changed them in some way
It is not really art though because it is sort of just whats there. Imean obviously, if you took maybe a photo of it you could saythat is art, but if you are just walking down a normal road andyou see a nice view, it is not particularly art. (Dependent single,ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
But others homed in on the response that such phenomena could evoke - this
might be similar to that evoked by a great work of art
I put spiders web down as Not Art, because although they canbe really attractive with frost on them and all that, it is not Art
I would say that was Art
It is creative
It is natural Art
But you could argue that there is absolutely no intent on thepart of the Spider to produce anything other than something to
catch its prey in
But in my eyes it looks beautiful and when the sun shines onit, it produces that effect. (Post-family, ABC1, Medium engaged,Suburban)
The trouble is, if it raises an emotion of any kind, you knowwhat you said, like a beautiful sunset or a beautiful day canmake you happy. Something that you see, if it stirs any kind ofemotion, then surely it is some kind of art really? If it makes youfeel something about it. (Family, ABC1, Medium engaged,
Suburban)
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
32/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-28-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
On occasion, the inclusion of domestic and artisan skills as art was qualified
by the requirement that they involved a degree of design or creative thought.
Therefore to be art, they did not involve simply following a pattern laid down
by someone else but also some original thought and some expressive
purpose; that is, they had to go beyond the purely utilitarian.
Such discussions made some participants reconsider their own or others
achievements; the bathroom installer, the man who had built his own house,
the toolmakers in a family
I built my own house, but Ive never thought of it before as anart form. But when I sometimes Ill stand and look at it, and Ithink, Oh yes. And like you said, you can always think ofanother way of just improving things. So, yes, as the arts - ifyou look at it that way, anything that isnt totally practical andtotally essential, thats got any kind of whistles and bells, is art.(Post-family, C2DE, High engaged, Rural)
I was just thinking about how, how far do you take this art? Myson and my husband are tool makers. And when I watch themmake something on a machine which then goes off and turnsinto an enamelled pot which sells thousands Moorcroft. Andpeople buy it because of this fantastic enamelling and artwork.And my son made the tool that made that. And, to me, that isfar, thats really, really clever that hes got the imagination andhes not someone thats given to high flown descriptions ofanything And to most people, its huh, manufacturing. But itsnot, he creates. It is creative. (Post-family, C2DE, Highengaged, Rural)
Indeed, the idea that in fixing cars in their job, they might somehow be
involved in art made some of the low engaged warm to the task.
The inclusion of science or maths as arts depends on similar thinking
someone has to have the capacity and vision to arrive at the original germ of
an idea (or hypothesis) and then works away to realise (prove) that
hypothesis
If you take someone like Einstein, I still cant picture these blackholes that he was on about all those years ago. And having hadthis, this imaginative drive or inspiration, he then spent the next,
I dont know how many years, going through God knows howmany reams of paper and God knows how many pens andpencils, to prove that there were these black holes, which I also
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
33/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-29-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
dont understand. But I think an artist a scientist can seesomething, then works towards it. (Retired, ABC1, Highengaged, Urban)
3.3.2 The Process of Realisation
For the majority, those producing art had particular skills or talents that
differentiated them from other people; art was not something that everybody
could necessarily do unless they had a talent for a particular art form. For
most respondents, those skills and talent manifested themselves particularly
at the stage of realising the idea rather than in just having the idea in the first
place.
Artistic talent was often seen as something that one is born with and although
it might be developed later in life, an innate ability was important. For most,
there were people who were creative and others who were not and supreme
talent was met by awe
You could just stand in a room and view this marvellous
painting, and stand there for an hour and be absorbed withnothing actually happening except you are absorbing the sheerimmensity of what somebody has produced. You know, it is thatsort of thing that is just overwhelmingly not just, I couldnt dothat ever but isnt it wonderful that in this world something ofsuch beauty is created by somebody for us all. (Family, ABC1,Medium engaged, Suburban)
A dilemma arose when groups had discussed whether a broad definition of art
might mean that everyone was involved in art in some way and might be
called an artist
I would say I was more involved in art because like nail art andthings like that, girls always paint their nails and stuff so theydbe, thats more artistic and when you say like cake designingand stuff, when you make a cake at the weekend or something,you dont really think of it as like being an art form anddecorating it, but I suppose it is
I think it is more like the effort you put into it, like, it obviously
takes a lot of effort to make a cake. (Dependent single, ABC1,Medium engaged, Suburban)
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
34/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-30-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
If you went to art classes and you produced a piece of art, evenif it was awful, I suppose it would still be art, wouldnt it? (Post-family, ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
The use of computers as part of the development of an idea was commented
on in some discussions; for some it detracted from the human being at the
centre of the process while others accepted the computer as a tool to aid the
process. In the same way with respect to artisan skills, a tool such as a wood
turning lathe might be involved but some level of human input was assumed
in directing that tool ie. it was not a fully automated process.
3.3.3 The Response
There was a very broad feeling that for anything to be art, it had to evoke a
response of some kind. It was not enough for someone to create something;
it only became art when it was met by a response
I still dont think a work of art can exist in a sort of a vacuum,that Ive created a work of art, therefore it is, therefore Im an
artist. I think there has to be, even if its only one, one secondopinion, who appreciates it
Somebody has to be moved spiritually, intellectually, in someway, to define it as an art. (Retired, ABC1, High engaged,Urban)
For many, this response should ideally, be a positive and pleasurable one a
sense of liking the end product
It is about how much enjoyment you get out of it, you see itmore as an art if you enjoy it more. (Dependent single, ABC1,Medium engaged, Suburban)
But others recognised that often the response was not about liking something.
Works of art could instead provoke dislike, distaste, anger or they could
simply provoke thought, they could make you see things in a new way or
teach you something
I would say it couldnt be art if nobody enjoyed it
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
35/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-31-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
I would say that there are things that people think are artisticand some people think that they are not
Some paintings are pretty gruesome, arent they?...
They stimulate interest, dont they? (Post-family, ABC1,Medium engaged, Suburban)
People often spoke of wanting to be moved, inspired or changed by a work
of art in some way
For some, art is anything that can move you
And is pleasurable to watch
Is a form of art, if it brings your emotions out. (Family, C2DE,High engaged, Urban)
But I think we might have to change our perception in someway, art, I think it has to make some changes within yourself.Its something you look at or read or get involved with, I think ithas to somehow change you to be called art. (Retired, ABC1,High engaged, Urban)
To me, it would be someones ability to make me feelsomething. (Post-family, C2DE, High engaged, Rural)
A really good drama, different portraits and landscapes,sculpture that inspires and is thought provoking, something thatgives you a different perspective. Sometimes you seesomething and you think wow, this gives me a differentperspective on things so that would be art
Whether it is just commercial or whether it is trying to provokesomething extra. I always think art is trying to provoke thehuman response. Something that is not just basic, it issomething extra. (Family, ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
I dont think it has to be a warm fuzzy feeling, it could be areally sort of bad feeling but it still made you feel somethingrather than just sort of looking at it because oh, as long as itsmade you feel something. (Dependent single, C2DE, Mediumengaged, Rural)
There was some discussion about the importance of understanding what the
artist was intending with the work of art. Most seemed to accept that this was
unlikely to be the case and some liked the idea that you had to try and work
out what the artist was trying to say
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
36/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-32-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
You might just not understand it, like whoever created it mighthave created it with emotion but then you might not feel it fromthat piece of art but it doesnt mean that its not art it just meansthat you appreciate different kinds of art. (Dependent Single,ABC1, High engaged, Suburban)
On the other hand, some clearly wanted their art to be undemanding; they
could immediately get something out of it.
3.3.4 Other Factors
A range of factors were also seen as coming into play in influencing whether
something was considered art or not. The picture was rarely straightforward
however as shown by the various arguments set out below.
The Distinction between Art and Entertainment
On a number of occasions, participants dismissed certain aspects of art forms
as art because they saw their principal purpose as entertainment, with
enjoyment as the intended result. Reality TV shows were rarely classed as art
unless they involved a certain level of competence in a performance art such
as singing or dance. The status of soap operas was unclear. Grounds for
describing them as art would be the fact that they involve acting (a skill that
requires talent), and the fact that they may not be entirely enjoyable to watch
because unpleasant things may happen or they may set out to convey
lessons as part of their message.
The converse point was made in the same discussion; works by Dickens thateveryone would now see as art began life as instalments in papers and could
be seen as soap equivalents of the Victorian age.
Some of those who said they had little to do with the arts felt that they were
interested in entertainment but not in art precisely because entertainment
operated at their level while art went over their heads
I think art is perceived as being stuffy, you know a bit over thetop. I dont know if its the media thats made it like that but if youcant understand it, like Shakespeare, the words and that, thats
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
37/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-33-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
art you know. Anything lower than that, like they have roundChristmas -whats it? pantomimes. People dont class it as artso much...
Its a condition of mind if you like. You see something, you do
something, thats entertainment, thats nothing to do with art.(Retired, C2DE, Low engaged, Urban)
I wouldnt have classed Peter Kay and the comedian thing asthe arts cos theyre funny and you would want to go and seethem! (Pre-family, ABC1, Low engaged)
Context for the Work
The key example given of this was the perception of graffiti as art and how
this changes depending on the context. Unwanted and apparently unskilled
graffiti in inappropriate places was definitely not art while imaginative, well-
produced graffiti displayed in galleries or even permitted spaces, was
Graffiti on buildings can be really, really threatening, but somegraffiti is worth a lot of money. My son actually sold Banksypaintings in Bristol, and he sold them for about 1,000 and theygo for 40,000 to 50,000. If you see graffiti in a town it isthreatening, I think. (Post-family, ABC1, Medium engaged,
Suburban)
Slides in the local park might not be art but in Tate Modern
I mean, it's like the slides in the turbine hall, I think thats art. Alot of people dont think it's art but I think it's art because theartist says so. Thats why it's art, it's there. (Craft club)
One of the low engaged groups commented that art was what went on in their
local arts centre while entertainment happened at the local theatre (their
preference was for the latter).
To confuse the picture a little, the example was given in one group of two
disused cooling towers near Sheffield that many now perceive as art and are
campaigning to retain them as part of the landscape.
Fashion and Marketability
There was recognition that what is considered art varies with time and
fashion; several participants spoke of fine artists or composers who were
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
38/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-34-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
unappreciated in their own lifetime. This was adopted as the basis for arguing
that many popular modern art forms may come to acquire classical status in
time (see the point about Dickens above also)
I think that is the trouble with the arts. It can be very snobbyand people can very snobby about it, like rock music is not anart form, it has to be classical. But classical music was thepopular music of that time. (Post-family, ABC1, Mediumengaged, Suburban)
If someone or some body that is respected in the art world passes judgement
on something as a work of art, then it becomes accepted as such
I mean, one of the first that we had was Tracey Emins beddidnt we? I mean, there was always a lot of speculation whenyou know, she won the prize but why? It was an art form and itwas decided that that was an art form, if you see what I mean
Tracey Emin, I would argue, said it was art and a number ofpeople bought the fact that it was art, it doesnt mean to say it isart, it is just that she sold the concept. (Post-family, ABC1,High engaged, Suburban)
Personal Taste
There was broad acceptance that what is art to one person will certainly not
be art for others and certainly, some of those, particularly in the low engaged
groups, seemed to put this into practice, perversely dismissing anything they
did not like as art!
The point was made that one did not necessarily like or appreciate the same
art forms as ones children, yet they are still art. Conversely, you might regard
what your children produce as art because of your natural bias whereas
nobody else would.
Some people had noted that as they had got older, their own tastes had
changed so attitudes to art should not be seen as fixed
Is it something that you have to be exposed to for a long timebefore you start to learn to appreciate it?...
I think the older you get as well, you appreciate differentthings
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
39/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-35-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
I would agree to that
You have got to get rid of your prejudices, havent you?(Post-family, ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
I think it is a learning process. If you are introduced to ityounger you are more likely to appreciate it. I think you do startunderstanding it, obviously much more as you get older.(Family, ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
Quality
The issue of the quality of the work was something that might be inferred from
what was said rather than an explicit discussion. As we have seen, a certain
level of skill and talent was assumed and yet in broadening their definition ofart to include more popular and accessible art forms, the issue arose of
whether these involved high levels of skill.
To circumvent this dilemma,some groups chose to identify different levels of
skill. They would not necessarily equate a play performed by an amateur
dramatics group with that put on by professional actors. Another group
differentiated between a routine performed by a gymnast and one which
resulted in a wonderful display. In this way, one might differentiate between
art and great art
The trouble is, great art is linked with skill. You dont want someballet dancer who is just going to trundle around. The trainingthat has gone in and the appreciation, it really is a skill to get tothat level. I think, the same with an artist, the greatest artist musthave had a skill that other people havent got and thats whatsets us apart from sort of the man in the street I think
When you say that, they all started from somewhere so in theearly years you are saying what they produced wasnt art, andthen in later years, what they produced is art. So I mean, thatsa bit of a weird argument, isnt it really?
You were saying about it being art and then great art, well, isthere a difference between the level of anything? So it is not thatit is not art, it is making it as good as art. (Post-family, ABC1,High engaged, Suburban)
Younger people in a single dependents group differentiated between good
and bad art; the former was hard to create, the latter not
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
40/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-36-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
I think it's just a case of good and bad art. It's still art even ifyou've got no talent. It's like you're expressing yourself so that'sart but it might just be rubbish." (Single Dependent, ABC1, Highengaged, Suburban)
3.4 The Response to Conceptual Art
Conceptual art was mentioned frequently during this part of the discussion
and recorded by a number of people on their post-it notes in various forms
(animals in formaldehyde, half a sheep, anything that wins the Turner prize,
pile of bricks, unmade bed, Tracey Emin). These were always included within
the art? or not art categories. The debate about conceptual art offers no
new arguments but it is perhaps interesting to see how it plays out in the
context of participants definition of art.
The supporters, who were in the minority, argued that
- the talent of the conceptual artist is seen most readily at the
initial stage of coming up with the original idea
I think it is about peoples ideas and their imagination,they dont necessarily have to be skilled, you just have toget those across. (Dependent single, ABC1, Mediumengaged, Suburban)
Its the thought, isnt it, I suppose. What you are sayingabout the bed, when that first came out I was like, what aload of rubbish but the other point is that sometimeswhen I get out of my bed and I look at my bed, I think Icould just jump straight back into it. So I suppose that is
the creative side of it, isnt it? that is showing you aboutlife itself, its not just about the unmade bed, its showingyou like how busy your life is. (Pre-family, ABC1,Medium engaged, Suburban)
- sometimes the process by which a piece is created is an
important part of the work and this might not be evident from the
finished item
The problem with art in exhibitions and in galleries andstuff is that people see the finished product but not thework thats gone into it so like it could have taken years
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
41/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-37-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
to come to a piece of paper thats blank. Frankly I dontlike that but it would have taken quite a long time to get tothat point and there has been a lot of work behind it
I saw this programme where there was this big
splodge like different paint all over the place and this bigcanvas about the size of this room and I thought, what amess. And then they showed how it was made and itwas some woman strapped to this thing hanging from theceiling with loads of paint pots around it flying round theroom and I was like, yeah
Did it change your opinion on the piece?
Yeah, probably give it a bit more value because
someones like flying across the room to make it
..But surely then the actual piece isnt the art?...
Its what she did
Yeah, its what she did to do it is the art. (Dependentsingles, C2DE, Medium engaged, Rural)
- the response that is evoked by a piece is very important and can
take many forms it may be conveying a message about life, it
may be a physical response. Moreover, if a piece provokes
argument, this is a valid response
It (cow in formaldehyde) was just like floating, it wasabout this high off the floor wasnt it
It was black and white as well. ..
I thought it was superb. (Pre-family, ABC1, Mediumengaged, Suburban)
Yes, theres in Tate Modern, they have got a light boxand when I first saw it I thought this is everything I hateabout conceptual art. You know you go to Tate Modernand you go past a couple of rows of genuine skilfulmoving art, you know, and then you go past some reallypretty fantastic wooden sculptures and then you arrive atthis box and I thought, oh God, this is crap. And I go inanyway. And it is just a light box...
How big is it?
It is big enough to walk in, the size of a publicconvenience I suppose But it was genuinely a, it wasnt
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
42/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-38-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
spiritual, I wouldnt go that far but it certainly didsomething to you which was beyond what you wouldnormally expect from life. (Post-family, ABC1, Highengaged, Suburban)
The arguments of the detractors were fairly consistent
- the original idea lacks merit (although they generally do not
know what it is) and the artist is not trying to express any real
emotion
But it wasnt creative (Tracey Emins bed). Forsomething to be creative, it takes a lot of thought and alot of time and effort. (Post-family, C2DE, Low,
Suburban)
I wonder why she felt she had to get a response like that.I wonder, Im trying to wonder why she would want to dothat, to evoke such a response
She said that it was to prove that art was in everydaylife, from the unmade bed and dirty underwear and allthis, that this was art at everyday living at its rawest. Andthis was art Im not saying that I understood it, but thatis what she said. (Post-family, C2DE, High engaged,
Rural)
Sometimes I think some people are just trying to beprovocative. They are just trying to provoke you to thinkthis is art because it is provoking a response. So anunmade bed, a pile of bricks and just being controversialfor the sake of it. I just think that they are taking an easyride. (Family, ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
- there is little skill shown in the execution of the idea too often,
conceptual art consists of displaying everyday items
I just think it is, like, you see a lot of things like, oh, thereis a wheel barrow with tools in it, that is just life, thats notart. No effort has gone into that. (Dependent singles,ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
Skill has to be involved in art and if you think, I could dothat and know it is facetious and that it is modern art andwe have to accept it and whatever. You know, a pile ofbricks is still a pile of bricks whether it is laid because the
shadow falls this way or whatever. It doesnt do it for me.(Family, ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban))
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
43/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-39-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
- very often, the piece fails to communicate anything - people
simply dont get it. Any response is not a genuine emotional
one rather, it is a false one based on what other people say
about the piece or an emotion that has been provoked
gratuitously by it
The fact that the final piece is always really vague andpeople go to see it and theyre like, oh, it means all thisand it probably doesnt. I dont like the way that itsshown to people and people respond to it the critics andstuff. (Dependent single, C2DE, Medium engaged,Rural)
But I do think that art is snobbery. I think there is a lot ofart that is almost like The Emperors New Clothes, webelieve it because we have been told it is good. (Post-family, ABC1, High engaged, Suburban)
I think those people are people who have been told thatit is art and are buying it because it will increase in valuebecause it is a commodity. (Family, ABC1, Mediumengaged, Suburban)
The discussion about the intrinsic value of a piece that demonstrates great
talent and skill in its execution compared to the value that is assigned to a
piece of conceptual art by those who are prepared to pay high sums for such
work, revealed in many participants a fear about being duped by so-called art
experts.
3.5 What are the Arts?
It became very clear in the first wave of research that while participants might
talk about what counts as art in a fairly free-wheeling way, their definition of
what counts as the arts was not the same thing at all. Moreover, people were
switching between the two terms and what they meant at various points in the
discussion. In the second wave therefore, we asked explicitly about the arts
and whether they were a collection of all the different things that might be
called art or whether they were something distinct from this.
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
44/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-40-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
The common response to this question was that there was a fairly established
and rather narrow definition of what made up the arts. This might be based
on what you had learned at school or formal courses run by colleges; arts
programmes on channels such as BBC2 and Channel 4 also set some
boundaries. The list of art forms that were offered as the arts therefore, not
surprisingly perhaps, reflected (with the exception of combined arts) those
that make up the Arts Councils core remit; literature, music, painting,
photography, theatre, ballet, opera and so on
Traditionally ballet would be the arts the arts are stuffier; itis paintings, theatre, and ballet mainly
It is traditional. (Family, ABC1, Medium engaged, Suburban)
We reckon the arts - classical music, anything to do withmusic really, I think youll find what you mean by the arts iswhen you go back to secondary school and you look at what youdid, you had art, drama and music, anything which is basedaround that. (Pre-family, C2DE, High engaged, Rural)
Everybody saw the arts as less accessible than some of the art they had
been discussing. They were certainly middle class, if not even more elitist,
and this was acknowledged even by the highly engaged
But with that, the arts, you do tend to confine it to a few thingsand then it is elitist and it is middle class but when you look at allthese things here, and put them under the arts then that is adifferent thing altogether, in my opinion. I wouldnt have thoughtabout it in that way. (Post-family, ABC1, High engaged,Suburban)
Indeed, the arts were defined for some of the low engaged by their very
exclusiveness and exclusivity they were the things that they had nothing to
do with and moreover, they felt the arts wanted nothing to do with people like
them
Its all the stuff I have no or very little interest in. (Post-family,C2DE, Low engaged, Suburban)
Opera, ballet. They are two things which I cant understand forthe life of me. (Retired, C2DE, Low engaged, Urban)
I just thought it was acting and theatre and stuff, opera andsometimes Id rather shoot myself in the head than listen to
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
45/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-41-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
opera, Im not kidding you. (Dependent single, C2DE, Lowengaged, Suburban)
Its true, the arts are really something which is there for theupper classes and actually they would rather the rest of us
stayed away. (Retired, C2DE, Low engaged, Urban)
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
46/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-42-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
4 Accessibility of the Arts and Obstacles to GreaterEngagement
4.1 Introduction
In this section, we look briefly at current levels and forms of engagement with
the arts, views on how accessible the arts are and what are the things that get
in the way of having more to do with the arts.
4.2 Engagement with the Arts
The extent to which people attended arts events or actively participated in
the arts was not explored in detail in the discussions as this would have taken
up too much time. It was clear however, that the frequency and range of
engagements fitted with expectations in terms of low, medium and high
engaged; that is, people who felt they were very interested in the arts and
devoted much of their leisure time to the arts attended events quite
frequently and were more likely to do something in the arts than those who
were fairly interested and either said they would like to do more if they could,
or the arts were but one of their leisure interests.
The types of engagement, as might be expected, varied with lifestage and
social class. For example, the engaged single dependents were doing a lot
in terms of creative participation (rather than attending events) although this
tended to be related to very specific art forms and was often done as a solus
activity (eg. playing around with Adobe, drumming, singing, dance, painting).
The involvement of those with families was often directed to their children
helping them with arts/crafts projects, organising tuition or classes or going on
occasional family outings to arts events, generally the theatre. The broadest
sampling of the arts was evident among the retired respondents and, to an
extent, the post-family lifestage (although many were still tied up with
careers). Some were members of choirs, am-dram groups or took art
classes; a few played instruments and a number had hobbies such as card
making, flower arranging, dress making, photography and so on. They visited
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
47/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-43-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
the theatre, concerts and art galleries and a few were friends of their local
arts venue.
By contrast, the low engaged had very little to do with what they would term
the arts and some were so antagonistic to the very idea that we termed them
the anti-engaged. Their involvement might take the form of playing on
arcade dance machines or drinking in pubs where live music was playing
(although they did not go there for it). Some went to the cinema occasionally
but they would not see this as taking part in the arts. Many of the older
respondents were involved in domestic activities such as decorating, baking,
gardening. Interestingly, during a couple of the discussions, it emerged that
one or two people had been to a local dramatic production and while they had
enjoyed it, they were either unwilling to acknowledge or simply did not see this
as an example of the arts.
4.3 Motivation for Engagement
The subject of how people had become interested in the arts was one raised
within the groups by respondents themselves; often when they brought up the
question of why others were not interested. The common view was that their
attitudes and to an extent, tastes, had been moulded in childhood, perhaps by
the interest in the arts of their parents or their family generally and the
opportunities they were given to take part in some art form or attend a
performance. Others pointed to the influence (sometimes when they were in
their teenage or even adult years) of a specific individual; a teacher, relative
or a member of their peer group who had drawn them into the arts and a few
were switched on to the arts by the impact of a particular artist or
performance they had seen. A number of respondents talked about their
interest arising from being dragged along to galleries or theatres by a partner
and how this initial reluctant sampling had turned to genuine interest.
Congruently, those who were little engaged with the arts often pointed to the
attitudes of their parents or lack of opportunities where they lived as the things
that had set the pattern for them. As a consequence, they now felt a lack of
-
8/14/2019 ArtsDebate Public Findings Report
48/142
The Arts DebateFindings of Research among the General Public
-44-Creative Research 43 The Broadway London W13 9BP
interest in the arts and little curiosity to find out if they might enjoy something.
Perhaps their interest lay elsewhere (such as in sport).
There was therefore a commonly evinced view that to increase engagement
with the arts, one had to grab people as children
And also, if you are exposed to it as a child or it is somethingthat your family does, then it becomes the norm doesnt it? Sothe stigma of perhaps going to something like that isnt there
Okay, so if there is a family history o f doing this sor t ofthing i t becomes quite normal for the children to do it
And also they would be encouraged to do it as well
And you might come back to that again as well. If you werebrought up in an atmosphere where art is respected, even if youmight leave it for years, you still have that grounding if you havebeen to a school where you have learned it, you can come backto it, cant you? (Post-family, ABC1, Medium engaged,Suburban)
Some felt that ones tastes and capacity to become engaged in the arts
change with age. Some felt that they had become more receptive to certain
art forms as they grew older although they were still very aware that they had
certain comfort zones which they were reluctant to leave. Preoccupation
with childrens needs and interests often overruled ones personal
engagement when one had a family but it was suggested that you often
picked up your own interests later in life.
Those who are actively involved in the arts were motivated to take part in
their current activities by three main, and not ne