In his latest video message, Nick Capaldi looks back over the challenges of 2020, and in particular at the hardships created by the Covid-19 pandemic before looking ahead to the coming year. A key message is to reimagine the future in a new way where the arts are truly for the benefit of all and are available on a fairer and more equal basis.
In the video, Nick Capaldi says:
“The pressures of day-to-day financial survival are almost overwhelming. Many of you have moved your activities online and are turning your minds to how the arts can continue to offer new hope to a public starved of the solace, joy and entertainment that we know the arts offer.”
“As we look to the future, it’s not just a question of how quickly venues can re‑open or audiences can return to public events, important though this is. It’s about what happens when they do. Over the past year we’ve seen a profound questioning and re‑shaping of values across all aspects of public life. And as these values shift and evolve, we mustn’t find ourselves caught between nostalgia for a ‘comfortable’ past and the worries of an uncertain future. If we do, we risk stumbling into the new landscape as a weaker version of our former selves.
“It’s my firm belief that we shouldn’t be trying to re-claim some notion of a lost ‘normality’. Instead, I hope that we can explore new territory with imagination and generosity, ensuring that we engage more fully with the many people and communities who haven’t benefited previously from public funding of the arts.”
The 10-minute video can be viewed below.
END Wednesday 27 January 2021