The arts, publics, and socialising

I’m crushed by the present absence of the arts from my life as the arts give me both a way to be in public but without the need to socialise, as well as a place in public to socialise. Without the arts, and this avenue to exercise my beingness and humanity, I’m left feeling, well, a little less alive – a little less human. Why the arts aren’t revered more broadly continues to confound as when its absence correlates with boredom and depression, surely its presence (an existence executed by creatives and arts workers) should be adequately sanctified (and financially rewarded) for its contribution to our happiness. Even our solitary experience of nothingness right now is buoyed by art, objects, shows, exhibitions, movies, stories, skits and clips – all a click away – and I can guarantee you most of the people who make the effort, write the scripts, produce the music or set the scenes would fall under the umbrella industry of 'the arts'.

Those who don’t think they miss it probably don’t have a particularly rich and nuanced understanding of what it is. But that this would have to be explained to politicians is a thoroughly depressing thought. (And an Arts Minister no less?)

https://johnmenadue.com/judith-white-scott-morrisons-21st-century-book-burning/

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jul/15/global-arts-crisis-how-does-australias-federal-stimulus-compare

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/250-million-jobmaker-plan-restart-australias-creative-economy

I’m dubious re: JobMaker for its inbuilt paternalism, but I’ll get onto that in another post before this becomes LONG.