July 2007
China - UK, celebrating common approaches and ideas
China’s growth is well documented and, according to Goldman Sachs predications, ready to equal if not overtake the current G7 leaders in GDP per head by 2050.
Of the fastest growing economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China), both India and China have already well developed middle classes with disposable income and these are quickly growing. Just this week we learned that Indian tourists to London outstripped the Japanese and Visit Britain is combining with other agencies to try to attract the lucrative Chinese tourist market that at present is more interested in France – largely due to the enormous financial investment from France in China building on the historic ties and cultural links.
So what does this mean for the cultural sector? More people in China interested in UK work and more middle class ‘cultural consumers’? What will it mean to the cultural sector when the Chinese economy impacts more deeply and widly into the UK economic and cultural life? There is an impetus from government to engage but, more importantly, there is an inevitability that cultural links will follow. Engaging now will mean that the cultural sector has a chance to mediate those influences and bring a cultural sensibility to the transactions and relationships.
In 2006, Visiting Arts undertook a major research project commissioned by British Council, the DCMS, FCO and Scottish Executive that looked at current attitudes between the UK and China cultural communities; their future aspirations and the needs to fulfil those aspirations.
We interviewed over 200 cultural organisations in the UK and China and our online questionnaire attracted 300 respondents. The results were analysed by sector, by scale and by geography.
We asked first about their experiences of working internationally in general.
For most of the major national companies and for a number of smaller ones, they said that they considered international work to be at the heart of their practice because it:
• Increases profile for the work, the individual, the company and the
country/region
• Improves standards in artistic practice and cultural understanding
• Enriches the offer for, and develops, audiences
Very few UK organisations see international working as a way of making money; successful programmes need considerable investment of time and resources. With the exception of the commercial non-subsidised creative industries, increasing markets for cultural work usually bring with it a concomitant need for more subsidy/investment/sponsorship. There are, though, overall financial benefits for the UK in having closer cultural links with China. These are likely to be felt in other sectors such as trade, industry, tourism and education.
The current breakdown of activity by artform shows us that China is more interested in our theatre practice than vice versa; music, dance and visual arts (the non-language based artforms) are strong on both sides.
Financial support
When asked specifically about funding, the picture is a tricky one. Not only is there not enough cash but the funding regimes are not compatible. Countries other than the UK have been investing large sums of money in developing links with China and have paid for work to travel in both directions. In the UK, the funding practice requires overseas partners touring in to the UK to meet their own off shore costs in China and if UK work is touring to China fees are expected to be paid on shore, which at present is not always the case.
The importance of passion
The findings from both UK and China suggest that, funding aside, the key to successful international projects lies in individual passion, engagement and commitment. A creative spark is essential. In addition, care must be taken to match the right project to the right venue and to ensure that sufficient time and resources are allocated to allow the projects to develop properly. For this reason the needs analysis revealed that the principle needs revolve around intelligence and brokerage. Raw information is less important than filtered, mediated intelligence.
Different needs
Information needs vary between the UK and China according to scale, sector and geography. China has a greater need for basic information on the UK cultural scene than the UK needs on China.
For the larger scale organisations, the information requirements are for the latest on-the-ground intelligence on contemporary trends and innovations, opinion formers and rising stars. This is better achieved through access to specialists on-the-ground than through generic information. Larger scale organisations are also particularly interested in introductions to key political figures and potential sponsors. Where the large scale organisations do request basic information, it is in those elements that add value to work such as education and outreach information, rather than in their own sector. This is because the field is much wider and basic contact information is needed as well as context information on the curriculum etc. This basic information needs to be available to a wide range of people, preferably on the web.
For mid and smaller scale organisations, in both the UK and China, information on the sectors themselves is requested and, in particular, how the sector is managed as well as who the key players are.
Many smaller organisations have strong links and experience of working on a company to company basis or in touring in a region. However, there is a strong sense from both the UK and China that more could be done if more was known about the respective sectors and opportunities. There are far more companies involved in the smaller to mid scale than are involved in the larger and national scale.
There is also a desire for information on opportunities outside of the main centres. This is particularly true of UK companies wanting to work in China and less of a concern from China.
Understanding ways of working
Neither China nor the UK saw cultural differences in themselves as causing difficulties - there exists an excitement and respect on both sides. Where there are difficulties, it is in the different expectations in planning and timescales and certain differences in working conditions for artists e.g. rest days, health and safety etc. There is a need for some basic understanding of protocols and ways of working.
For these reasons, we found that specific training both in China by UK practitioners and in the UK by Chinese practitioners would be most valuable.
One-off events are of less value in general except where they serve to raise interest and awareness in the general public and policy makers. However, interest wanes unless there is the opportunity to follow through. A better way of working is to put in place a structured and integrated programme. Research visits resulting in exchanges, residencies, work placements, mentoring are vital in setting the foundations for long term fruitful relationships.
Much of this research told us what we, as an intercultural organisation, and most cultural practitioners already know. And the kind of activity recommended is the work that Visiting Arts has been engaged in for some time. More interesting though is the desire expressed by many artists/organisations to work with other cultures on issues of common interest – climate change, for example, or migration of people. The desire to explore interculturalism is increasingly through working together on collaborative projects – that way cultural differences are explored at a deeper level whilst exploring and celebrating common approaches and ideas.
Photo: Participants of the first Visiting Arts / British Council China In-Country workshop, March 2005. Copyright: Visiting Arts
With China set to command greater influence in all our lives over the coming decades, cultural collaborations now could mean a much richer cultural community in all ways.
Yvette Vaughan Jones
Executive Director, Visiting Arts
Click here to download The Needs Analysis Report from British Council China’s Connections-through-Culture
BACK
|
Related links
British Council China
China-UK Connections through Culture
|
CREATIVE ENCOUNTERS
Artist-to-Artist
Creative Collaborations
Creative Initiatives
Brazil Cultural Programme
Colombia Programme
Taiwan Programme
CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS
Arts Managers’ Placement Programmes
In-Country Workshops
Critics Programmes
LAVAN
(Latin American Visual Arts Network)
Producers / Curators visits
Visiting Creativity
Beyond the Sea/Outremer |
