WSA Fine Art student and Arts Ambassador, Annette shares her insights from the recent International Summit and the key issues facing the cultural and creative sector.
As an emerging artist, soon to enter the exciting field of the arts, the discussion in contemplating the future for arts and culture in our current climate proved incredibly insightful. The opportunity to be a part of the International Summit convened by the Creative Industries Federation (CIF) was otherworldly in understanding the workings of creative organisations, especially from the perspective of a student and a creative professional myself.
Businesses ranging from Google Arts and Culture, YouTube celebrities to Lush cosmetics and Lionsgate Television turned up and engaged in light-hearted, yet seriously impassioned discussions. The experience was invaluable for me in terms of looking behind the scenes at how the creative industries thrive and asking important questions about the future.
One of the most refreshing things about the event was hearing the strong passionate discussions that promoted the value that arts and culture has in our lives, from creative professionals that have dedicated their life to the cause. Alan Bishop, the Chief Executive Officer of Creative Industries Federation, had a brilliant opening line to the event that successfully summed up this feeling, “It’s so important that we understand the impact of the arts in our lives”.
The first discussion particularly grasped my attention as a new artist, where the topic of discussion was ‘Creativity in Times of Uncertainty’. Key topics included politics, trends and the internet. Opportunities provided by the internet are changing the way the world, including the art world, is operating. Humza Arshad, a YouTube comedian and actor with a hefty subscriber count of 415k followers, explained that “YouTube was a vessel to be creative”. This was also highlighted by Zygi Kamasa, CEO of Lionsgate Television who opened our eyes to the impact that Netflix and ‘binge-watching’ had in focusing their company to significantly increase their investment on 20-minute creative short-films on YouTube.
Even the Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport explained how the huge success of BBC’s Sherlock had increased tourism to Downing Street by thousands.
Artists and filmmakers alike have jumped on these new trends as creative opportunities in an environment where statistics show less people are choosing a career in the arts based on the current instability in our society. Yana Peel, CEO of Serpentine Galleries, praised the hybridity of creatives to move between platforms and the resilience of artists to move out of their comfort zone to protect this industry. Between discussions where networking was key, this was shown in an exciting light where creatives from all backgrounds conversed across all sectors and fields that the broad term entails.
I came away from the day with a clearer understanding of the possibilities available in the arts industry when you’re willing to grasp opportunities and felt confident in my abilities as an artist contributing to the field. I met some brilliant people including some local friends the Solent Creatives!
The Summit proved to show a promising light for the arts in the future. Although there is much work to be done to solidify this confidence that the country has for the arts and culture, I came out of the day’s events with overwhelmingly strong spirits after listening to the thoughts of some of the top creative thinkers. And as a practicing artist, I am even more eager for my work to consider and morph around these exciting times.
The Creative Industries Federation International Summit took place on 9 October 2018 in London. Click here for a full summary of the event.
Annette attended the Summit as part of CIF’s complimentary ticket scheme for art students.
#FedSummit18
Arts Ambassadors is a paid opportunity, supported by the Careers and Employability Service’s Excel Southampton Internship programme, University of Southampton
