Swindon is rich with culture but is it a kind of magic?
A deep dive into 'Magic Swindon' - the borough's Arts and Cultural Strategy
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It might be a stupid name but is there meat on the bones of the council’s ‘Magic Swindon’ arts and cultural strategy?
By Jamie Hill
It’s not often that I have such a negative reaction to something.
I think the last time was when I was stomping along on one of Swindon’s many pavements and accidentally stood in a great big pile of dog muck.
That was my reaction when I heard the name ‘Magic Swindon’ - the new title of Swindon’s arts and cultural strategy.
Hearing that name brought back the same emotions I felt as I studied the brown excrement now embedded on the bottom of my shoe. A mix of nausea, anger and sadness evoked by such a trite and tacky name for something that we would like people, especially outside of the town, to take seriously.
The new strategy is going before the borough council’s cabinet tonight, where it is expected to be given the thumbs up before going before full council to be formally adopted.
Let’s just hope someone, somewhere within the confines of the council has the wherewithal to point out that such a name for something so important could only be a negative and they adopt a more positive moniker for the strategy before it’s too late - especially before they spend any money on branding.
At tonight’s meeting the cabinet members will be able to peruse a report about the strategy and I’ve got to say in the main, apart from the name, it is extremely positive.
The report is quite a read and at points even veers firmly into the realms of a manifesto with a list of goals it wants to achieve by the year 2028 - so it’s not lacking in ambition.
You can have a read here (it’s item Number 10 if you need a bit of extra help finding it).
Within the report it states that Swindon Borough Council’s current administration is committed to a new approach and sees art and culture as integral to the town’s future.
And although the report does clearly state that the council is limited financially, it will do all it can to help promote and support the arts sector in the town.
As someone who founded and edited the arts and culture magazine The Ocelot for many years, and has sat on various events committees including currently the Swindon Shuffle - the local original music festival - this is definitely a welcome bit of news.
For too many years Swindon’s cultural scene has faced a ‘computer says no’ scenario whenever it has approached the council for help unless it happens to be one of that current administration’s favoured bits of the arts.
I remember a decade or so ago founding a project called STAMP (Swindon Theatre and Music Project) which had the sole intention of making culture visible in the town in the form of volunteer managed and paid for ‘Culture Boards’ on council-owned buildings with high footfall.
It was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life as myself and other members of the group hit a brick wall when it came to the council. They spoke a good game but when it came down to it you simply got the impression that as it wasn’t their idea they weren’t going to do a single thing about it, and it was them citing ‘health and safety’ that killed the project in the end.
So to have an administration with a change of attitude and one that champions arts and culture is definitely a massive step in the right direction.
Maybe from now on the computer is more likely to say ‘yes’.
Another thing the ‘Magic’ report points out is that the previous administration’s ‘Cultural Quarter’ vision is definitely not being pursued. I sat on several committees for that too - and must admit was left with the impression that it was more of a talking shop than anything else, with no-one really benefiting apart from consultants and architects from outside the town who were paid heaps of cash for nothing to be delivered (but I’m not bitter, honest).
The proof will be in the pudding for this new strategy as to whether it becomes another talking shop or that actually things will be delivered.
Apart from reaffirming its commitment to the town’s current libraries, parks and museums, the strategy also talks a lot about the council’s role as a ‘facilitator’. The middle-man that makes things happen by bringing in outside investors and pointing people down the right path.
One of the things I’m hoping that they are doing is carrying out an audit of what arts and culture there already is in the town. Talking to those organisations individually. Finding out what support they need and building on those foundations.
I’m talking about organisations, usually run by volunteers for the love of it, like the aforementioned Swindon Shuffle, Swindon Open Studios, and Swindon Litfest.
There’s a lot of culture in the town and they could all benefit from a bit of council support.
It’ll be lovely for the council to no longer be a barrier but rather a leap-pad to improve what we’ve already got.