The Sectors: Commercial v Subsidized

Convener(s): David Luff

Participants: About 3

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

Issues discussed:

• - different funding models
• - sustainability of both sectors
• - ticket prices
• - audience figures
• - marketing + outreach + audience development 

RESPONSIBILITY:

• - towards building upkeep
• - towards “art”
• - towards new audiences and the “young”
• - towards society in general
• - who should artists answer to?

Partnerships for funding between both sectors and the collaborations that can emerge: e.g. Kneehigh and Pugh& Rogers with Brief Encounter

Where does the Fringe fall? Is it subsidized or commercial?

• Freedom of Artistic Content - which has more freedom?

-Does the need to to adhere to Arts Council priorities restrict the amount of freedom that subsidized companies can expect to have?

- Are commercial producers “freer” in any sense in that they can produce whatever they want, or are they held back due to the need to make a profit?

- Which sector is best placed to create art for arts sake, as opposed to art governed by political objectives, or art decided by popularity?

 

Ticket prices:

• - Should there be a compulsion on commercial producers to always have a certain amount of cheap tickets (e.g. £10) for people? Or for this sector, should market forces always work unfettered – with producers charging whatever they want.
• Fundamentally trying to work out whether creativity can flourish in the commercial sector – in a sector driven by profit? What are the necessary ingredients for creativity?