Taking our host HOME as an example, Cllr Rahman explained how “lots of people come to this venue to enjoy cinema, but don’t see the supply chain that makes this experience possible. We should be asking ourselves – what does culture mean to us as a community? How does everyone benefit? – because the knock-on effects are massive.” Lots of people come to this venue to enjoy cinema, but don’t see the supply chain that makes this experience possible. We should be asking ourselves – what does culture mean to us as a community? How does everyone benefit? – because the knock- on effects are massive. - Cllr Luthfur Rahman OBE,Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council and Councillor for Longsight Ward
Empowering communities
For Cllr Rahman, appreciation of the arts came only in adulthood; before this, growing up with only a limited exposure to the arts in Longsight, he admitted he “didn’t realise the social and professional impact” of the scene on both himself and the surrounding area. “Sometimes, we don’t realise that we are consuming art or are participating in culture. There’s a persistent perception of “this isn’t for me”, and many consider the arts as a middle-class vocation or exclusively stage-facing career.” There are several things that can be done to plug this cognitive disconnect and widen access. We must, the panel explained, demystify cultural institutions (grandiose museums are for everyone!), and link up local communities to taster or free events. Currently, this gap acts as a double whammy, because - as Karen pointed out - artists are unable to do their work and connect with audiences, and this in turn serves as a barrier to people entering their world.
“If someone would have simply walked into my school and told me that a museum was free,” said Greg, “it would have been a massive bridge to the world of the arts.”
Not My Business?
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