Words: Francine Gonzalez (she/her)
HELP! Glasgow is facing a cultural decline. Walking down Sauchiehall Street feels like a visual assault. Boarded up shops, endless construction, and the only options of enrichment seem to be a Greggs or Costa. But how did we get here?
Though hard to believe now, Glasgow has earned its lauded status as Scotland’s Culture Capital, with accolades ranging from Europe’s Secret Capital of Music in 2004, to UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999. Culture is marketed as Glasgow’s main attraction, drawing tourists from all around the globe who stimulate the Glaswegian economy: through trips, live music venues and art hubs. The issue here is that economic stability is seen as the only goal – and not cultural enrichment. Is it too much to hope that these two facets of society can be both achievable and sustainable?
Much like other beloved Glaswegian institutions, the CCA have recently announced that they are to temporarily close from December 2024 to March 2025, due to financial uncertainty. Unfortunately this is not an uncommon tale, though Scotland’s artists are choosing not to bury their heads in the sand. Instead, they are directing their outrage at Creative Scotland, which is a public body established through a merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. This national organisation manages a £75,000,000 annual budget from the Scottish government and Lottery funding. To put this number into perspective, the Scottish Government’s 2023 – 2024 budget was set at £59,700,000,000, meaning that 0.13% of which was distributed to Creative Scotland. Is this enough for culture to survive?
It doesn’t seem so. One of the main issues that artists have with Creative Scotland is how they pit artists against each other in order to fight for limited resources. If artists seek funding elsewhere, there is a risk that they will then be subjected to the whims of wealthy donors, who only care about the tax write-offs and returns. So, what does this mean for culture? Art is becoming increasingly seen as an economic endeavour. Centres for cultivating creativity and encouraging community are seen as no more than means to an end, because they do not result in a big payout for the Scottish government or wealthy donors. To me, the solution is clear – radical restructuring.
We can take a look at Glasgow’s history to find a pathway forward. The European Capital of Culture program was developed by the European Union in 1985, in order to progress culture in a way that was also appealing to economic growth. After battling high unemployment rates and a disparaging stretch of the class divide during the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the European Capital of Culture of 1990 program gave Glasgow the platform for sustainable cultural reconstruction. In 1992, live cultural performances increased by a whopping 82%, leisure and business tourism were strengthened and, with employment rates rising, the standard of living in Glasgow was looking up. However, as with many issues at the moment, the COVID-19 pandemic completely devastated the cultural hub that Glasgow had worked so hard to rebuild.
Considering how Glasgow’s cultural revolution was built on bringing people together, through live music, art galleries and collections, an isolating pandemic does not really lend itself to sustained cultural engagement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the problem of essentiality versus non-essentiality was introduced. Is the health and safety of your community really worth seeing that band or that exhibit? As the country recovers from the pandemic, it seems that culture is going through a transitional period because of governmental attitudes that deem culture and art unimportant. Or rather, less important than economic recovery. However, I believe that art and culture, and the community that emerges from it, is as much a solution to societal regression than any economic proposal. You can be fed, have a roof over your head and a job to go to. But it is meaningless if you have nothing stimulating your mind or unifying you with a community.
So, where does this leave us? Restructuring how we view, consume, and respond to art is the pathway forward. Lean more into the idea that art is an entity for the community, and not just for the individual. Remember that you don’t need to be an expert to know that you enjoy it. Culture is not only found in a select few canonical artists – instead, it is something which should be praised and celebrated locally. So, have a look at what’s on this weekend; go and see that band at King Tut’s, even if you don’t know them but they have a really cool name! You need Glasgow’s community – and Glasgow’s community needs you.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-20042063
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19880871
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/24241900.heritage-boss-says-glasgow-falling-third-world-decline
https://www.bloc.ru/blog-glasgow-city
