Writing to your MP and local advocacy - advice?

[Megan Vaughan]

There's an 'advocacy toolkit' available from ACE which encourages arts organisations to write to their MP about why the arts matter.  I'm working on advocacy for Metro-Boulot-Dodo in Leicester, and I'd be interested to know if any similar organisations have written to their MP about the funding cuts, whether they've had any response, or had any successes with local initiatives to raise the profile of the arts in their area, specifically in response to the funding cuts.

Anyone any thoughts?  I have a few ideas but they could easily fall flat on their faces if no-one is interested...

[Chantal Guevara]

Dance UK ran a campaign leading up to the elections which asked people to contact their MPs about the importance of funding for dance in the local community.

It was a very streamlined process (website on www.dancevote2010.com), which looked up your local MP/s, provided email templates, and cc'd responses to Dance UK who would them post them online.

There were quite a few responses (none of which were from my local MP), but it doesn't seem to have achieved much in the end....

[Megan Vaughan]

That's an interesting way to coordinate supporters. Here's hoping that it helped with awareness of the issues, even if it hasn't changed the world... Appreciate your feedback - thanks.

[Chantal Guevara]

Sadly, it didn't get great press, along the lines of "there are other issues far more critical than dance", and as Article19 pointed out, it only stands a chance if enough people get involved.

Still, it was great of Dance UK to try and mobilise the dance community so that we wouldn't be overlooked.

[Taylor Nuttall]

Thanks Megan

I was about to post something very similar. I'm setting up a meeting with Tim Farron Lib Dem MP for for Westmorland and Lonsdale, famed last week for his Toxic Tory comment.

The plan is for a group representation with other colleagues from local arts organisations (Brewery in Kendal, Lake District Summer Music) to meet with him and press the case for ensuring that we can ensure the survival of regionally based cultural delivery in particular. This is an area where for many a trip to a large urban centre to engage with the arts is not an easy thing, whereas there is significant evidence of both the value to a local economy through tourism, plus well being to local communities through engaging with local cultural provision. I'm also looking at emphasising the role of digital to rurally isolated communities and how being a part of an online cultural community can add significant value to this.

As you've requested above, any advice from others would be invaluable.

I'm also interested in how we can motivate others ie non arts professionals such as local audiences to similarly lobby their local MP. The Dance UK campaign looks interesting - I was also involved in a campaign against the Digital Economy Bill which resulted in thousands of individuals corresponding with local MP's

[Chantal Guevara]

I remember long ago being told that MPs viewed each letter as representing the views of [a substantially higher number of people] - which gives hope.

I would think that for individual proposals, there is a good chance of local councils taking an interest and showing support, however for larger issues (digital economy bill, funding), the decisions are being made without considering public campaigns.

[Megan Vaughan]

I agree that we're likely to have much more influence locally, and getting together with other organisations (like you're doing Taylor) is going to carry weight. Perhaps we need a network of regional consortiums to push the arts funding agenda?

[Jack J Hutchinson]

I wonder if this site is relevant here: http://www.canadianartscoalition.com/en/action-centre/email-your-mp/

The Canadian Arts Coalition's website has an 'Action Centre' section where visitors can find links to action plans and toolkits. There are a number of documents available related to arts stats and tools for talking to your MP and the press.

Obviously the content is most relevant to Canadian artists but the formatting could be utilised by Arts Funding and linked across our different networks. In fact, AIR Artists' Interaction and Representation are developing a similar set of documents for use by our members for free download at http://www.air-artists.org

These will include a set of email templates, briefing notes and facts sheets to download and use when meeting or writing to relevant people.

[Roger Tomlinson]

I don't think the ACE advocacy toolkit makes enough of the role audiences should play in lobbying councillors and MPs and in demonstrating their support and concerns to the media. Lots of arts organisations have various kinds of 'members', Friends and supporters organisations - surely this is a starting point for rousing public lobbying. I also think we need to lobby about the impact on the public/audiences from funding cuts and talk less about the impact on artists and arts organisations. When the NHS proposes to close a hospital, A & E department or ward is the impact discussed in terms of the effect on doctors and nurses and the health community? No they discuss the impact on the public, the ultimate recipients/beneficiaries of what we do and what public funding is for. I think Taylor is right to want to get local audiences to lobby their MP.
Roger

[John Munro]

The National Campaign for the Arts also produced a lobbying toolkit before the General Election, which can be found here: http://bit.ly/9jWrkO

We're working on updating this for the Comprehensive Spending Review and we should be publishing something in the next few eeks, when we do, I'll let you know!

[Dave O'Brien]

Hi- this report has a number of international case studies that might be interesting, its by IFACCA, published this month

http://media.ifacca.org/files/Dart16advocacy.pdf

[Megan Vaughan]

I think that IFACCA document is going to be very useful. Lots of the case studies appear to have co-ordinated a series of events to publicise their cause. If we can get local organisations working together, putting on some kind of event could really work. Thanks everyone for your input!

[Jack J Hutchinson]

AIR has prepared the following information to be distributed to government and policy makers. The document places particular emphasis on the rights of individual practitioners, although much of the information is reflective of the sector on the whole. It also includes a simple "Contact your MP" link for use when identifying, and communicating with relevant people:

Contact your MP