Kicking Off to a Great Week Two of the SELFestival

This morning was a beautiful and lively session to kickstart this week’s conversations. We were navigated by Régis Gautier-Cochefert. After discussing his career as an administrator and ‘gatekeeper’ of funds in the arts sector, he really dissected his stoic management style. At the focus of every move he has made, he champions humanity and human centred processes. One of the many skills Régis reflected on was the art of learning to say no in both grant giving and grant seeking. Régis gave lots of great advice around how to start relationships with funders. He also spoke about the time that goes into crafting funding applications, and ensuring that your organisation and your applications are not static and breathe life into the words that grant givers are reading.

In the afternoon, Professor Dave O’Brien spent the session relaying the demographics and origins of those who make up the creative sector, and how people find work in the creative industries. Through deciphering the data of occupations, Prof. O’Brien dissected how each industry was affected by the pandemic, as well as the breakdown cycle of public policy and how it affects workers within the creative industries. Dave also highlighted the major issue of social inequality in the UK which is reflected in the imbalance in our creative and cultural industries. He spoke about a lack of equality and opportunity both in hiring practices and in the habits of those most creatively and culturally exposed, which both in turn affect and create demand in the arts sector.

In a concluding optimistic note, Prof. O’Brien discussed the changes that individuals and organisations are making across these sectors to work innovatively in an inclusive and sustainable way.