The arts are dying. Or, for the more fatalistically inclined, the arts as we once knew them are all but dead. This was my declaratory statement during an opening address, where I was asked to offer up my five minutes’ worth on the state of the arts in this country.
That the event was one designed to mark the inauguration – and by extension, a celebration – of an education facility dedicated to all things music, art, dance and drama could explain why this is probably not what the organisers were hoping to hear.
Sentimentality aside, however, the current state of our arts and culture institution, from a legislative perspective at any rate, does leave you wondering if we are butmoments away from hammering the final nail into the A&C’s coffin…
From a minister who has absolutely no understanding of the field, much less the necessary credentials, to an ever-decreasing budget exacerbated by questionable decisions (fuelled by political agendas) around which projects our government chooses to fund, all evidence seemingly points to the fact that our arts industry is in a state of decline.
But what these facts, such that they are, do not account for is the spirit of the artist. Nor do they account for their importance.
From the time man first drew on the inside of cave walls, to the Mesopotamians, the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans, all the way through to the modern era, it is the arts that hold the story of our shared human history.
It is through the very mediums of music, visual art, dance, performance and literature that we as a human species have always expressed ourselves. It’s how we attempt to better understand our place on the planet; how cultures are created and we are able to breathe life into the threads of time that define our very existence.
On a more practical level, far from the doom and gloom prognosis, an aptitude for or qualification in the arts offers up ever-increasing areas of opportunity. If you’re prepared to think outside the proverbial box.
So perhaps a degree in visual art won’t see you becoming the next William Kentride and maybe your hours of dedicated dance training won’t see you becoming the next Dada Masilo. But with these skills, you could just as easily pursue a vocation in advertising, you could become a satirical cartoonist a la Zapiro, do a David Tlale and venture into fashion design, or even, become the next director of the Dance Umbrella.
Likewise, your talent in music or drama may not lead you to become the next rock star or Oscar-winning Hollywood actress. But you could just as readily be the person writing the songs for said rock star, or find yourself in front of a camera or behind a microphone as a television or radio presenter.
(Not to mention, with any of the above, there’s always the option of entering into arts journalism…)
So perhaps it’s not so much that the arts are dying. Or dead. Rather, it’s simply that they are evolving into something far more all-encompassing. And, as a variation of the ol’ saying goes, you can either choose to evolve with them, or find yourself left behind.
LARA DE MATOS
TONIGHT EDITOR
@Lara_de_Matos