Social inclusion -some observations AILEEN McEVOY

Arts Council England has recently commissioned Phyllida Shaw to carry out a brief review of progress on social inclusion in the arts since PAT10. In this short article I put forward some personal views on the impact of PAT 10 to date. PAT 10 was one of 18 Policy Action Teams established by Government to fast-track policy thinking on social exclusion. The work of the PATs led to the development of a National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. The long-term ambition of Neighbourhood Renewal was to narrow the gap between deprived areas and the rest by dramatically improving outcomes - more jobs, better education results, less crime, improved health. Neighbourhood Renewal funding is now concentrated on the 88 most deprived areas in the country.

Despite such funding commitment, the indicators of social exclusion remain high - levels of poverty have not decreased significantly; some 35% of young people leave school with low levels of literacy and numeracy; access to good health care is not available to all. These are complex and deep-rooted issues requiring complex, multi-layered and sustainable actions. It would be naïve to expect that the recognition that the arts have a part to play in neighbourhood renewal would of itself lead to a dramatic increase in arts activity at community level.But much has changed in the last 3 years - in particular, there is widespread acknowledgment of the value of the arts as a primary means of reaching and engaging with people. One key area in which change is particularly visible is in arts and regeneration programmes, in particular those that value the "softer" aspects of regeneration. Major schemes such as the regeneration of East Manchester combine a mix of major capital improvements with steps to improve healthcare, employment opportunities and levels of educational attainment. The arts are included in the mix in such programmes not in isolation but in the context of improved opportunities and quality of life for local people.

Some local authorities have made long term investment into the arts at a local level and have sought to study the social impact of the arts over a long period. An example of this is Bolton's Breightmet Arts project which sets out a 10-year vision for arts development on one housing estate. When Breightmet Arts was established in 1999, Bolton MBC commissioned a 3-year social impact study based on evidence from a range of sources. The study charts positive change in perceptions of the arts leading to a better image for Breightmet, a new sense of pride in the area and more choice and opportunity for cross-generational work through participation in the arts.

The last 3 years have also seen a growth in the use of the arts in other sectors —notably in healthcare and in crime reduction initiatives such as in the pioneering work of the Youth Justice Board. Arguably the most significant of these initiatives is Creative Partnerships —a groundbreaking project targeted at young people in the most deprived areas and schools. Creative Partnerships is about growing aspiration in young people, helping them to develop their own skills and talents and equipping them with a greater range of life choices and opportunities.

It is also about building new working relationships between arts practice in schools and the work of artists, arts organisations and other cultural enterprises.

So what's been happening in arts organisations themselves in the last 3 years in relation to social inclusion? Those organisations that have always worked on community cultural development have found new audiences for and appreciation of their work. They have successfully drawn funding from wide-ranging sources and are influencing local and community-based partnerships. Much greater value is now placed on the work of community/participatory arts organisations by arts funders, as evidenced by the increased funding levels for such organisations in the Arts Council England Corporate Budget 2003/6.

But what has been the impact of the social inclusion agenda on the majority of larger arts organisations? Here the PAT10 legacy is more mixed. Those that have traditionally placed a high value on artistic excellence in community-generated work have continued to do so. Some organisations, like Manchester's Contact Theatre, have been willing to challenge the nature and purpose of what an arts organisation is or might be, and have encouraged users to shape and have a voice in what the organisation becomes. Contact's experience has shown that providing communities (in this case of local young people) with opportunities to both participate and manage cultural activities, on an equal footing with artists, is central to building long term engagement.

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Contact Theatre: Lyrical Flavas A poet, a playwright and an MC worked with young people over two weeks to produce a highly successful performance on a Saturday night in Manchester-based Contact Theatre's main performance space. Photos: © Clive Hunte

Responsive arts organisations that place paramount value on the artistic expression and range of interests of non-traditional audiences are rare. But they demonstrate two vital lessons: 1) there is no need to forego artistic quality, innovation or risk taking when working with excluded groups or in a community context 2) there is no quick fix —an organisation must want to work in this way, must be prepared to get to know and value the communities they work with and keep up and sustain their commitment. For many arts organisations there is still some fear and trepidation of the social inclusion agenda. The reasons vary. Some do not wish to undertake tokenistic, one-off projects unless there is guaranteed future funding. For others, there is concern that their organisations may not have the skills to work in challenging situations. Others, driven by maintaining high artistic standards and a viable bottom line, have yet to be convinced of this mode of audience development. We need to listen to and work with such concerns and particularly to offer sustained funding and support for long term relationship building so that more organisations feel equipped to take on social inclusion as a policy priority. The arts are not a cure-all for the latest social crisis —an answer to a problem. They are, rather, an entitlement and opportunity for individuals and communities to have a positive voice in a democratic society.