CVAN at the Labour Party Conference

CVAN national director Paula Orrell and colleagues participated in a busy Labour Party conference in September. Among the round tables and discussions, some key themes emerged, focusing mainly on the core issues of economic change, private finance, taxation, and how best to support our thriving creative industries.

Other discussion points included:

· Private finance is crucial for driving economic transformation.
· Consideration of new levies for cultural growth.
· Equality remains a challenge, both nationally and in the creative sectors. It’s time to tackle this head-on.
· How invaluable freelancers are to the sector—rights to be protected through pay, contracts, and value.
· Discussions are ongoing about how National Lottery funds are distributed to support the arts, culture, and heritage. An Arts Council England review is imminent.
· Creative Industries growth: It’s all about cross-party commitment. These industries are not in a silo – they're essential to national growth.
· Lisa Nandy (DCMS Secretary of State) is working across the five government growth strategy boards.
· Local Growth Plans are critical to decision-making. The government needs to get behind community-led initiatives to support regional growth.
· Place-Based Philanthropy: Driving local growth through region-focused philanthropic efforts.
· Education Review underway with creative education at the core.

In her speech, the new DCMS Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, reflected on Labour’s legacy in the sector, saying that arts and culture are integral to national identity and personal growth. Also central to Labour’s vision for a richer life is creative education, and they’re taking steps to put arts back at the heart of the curriculum.

CVAN’s role will be continue to advocate for the visual arts sector with the new government, ensuring that the value of artists and arts workers is central to their policy-making work. Read about their visual arts policy asks here.