Sunday 27 March 2011

Should the UK's rich foreigners give more to arts?






Philanthropic Atheist Part iii
Oil, water colour, indian ink on gesso prepared board
DP Kilfeather 2010


Dame Vivien makes a particularly pertinent point at this time of vicious government cuts. There are rumours circulating about smaller UK public art galleries that are seriously concerned they may not have the financial resources to continue operating into 2012 and may have to close down. Traditional sources of funding are drying up and a vacuum is being created. Dame Vivien is drawing attention to seriously wealthy foreign residents and the UK Nouveau Riche who have disposable assets but perhaps culturally are not well disposed to philanthropy for whatever reason. The reasons may include an unwillingness to take time out from making money to spend money, or cultural barrenness almost certainly through no fault of their own. I believe the reasons apply equally to UK nouveau riche citizens as well as wealthy foreign residents in the UK. 

Part of the solution are the existing and new tax break initiatives, but these have to be marketed to and managed for the prospective donor. But generous tax breaks should not be the main reason for philanthropy in the arts. Call me a Red if you like, but philanthropy should be motivated by a need to put something back into society in return for the wealth provided by that society. My work in progress art project "The Philanthropic Atheist" refers to this and the personal psychological conflicts that the powerful and wealthy may experience.



The government cuts in process are proving to be more divisive than I originally anticipated. This government's policy is going to put access to art even more out of reach to the majority of people in the UK. It is with some trepidation therefore that I am commenting on the need for greater philanthropic contribution; this is, "definitely not me supporting David Cameron's so called big society", but nevertheless adding my voice to the call for those that have taken most from our society to put something back.