EDC decision a ‘slap in the face’ for volunteers Arts and sports actually deserve a funding increase

This represents a 100% cut since four years ago so that now the EDC contributes nothing to the Arts Commission.

The Arts Commission are now left with only 42% of the budget they had a year ago. The Arts Commission support many arts initiatives, sometimes financially but sometimes just ‘in kind’ or with advice, and this help is very influential in keeping some of the events going.

The arts community contribute so much to the island, with hundreds of people putting in thousands of voluntary hours across many events.

Events such as the Eisteddfod, Castle Nights, Proms on the Pier, Liberation Day, Sark Folk Festival, Arts Sunday, Chaos, the Vale Earth Fair and the Sark Summer Festival, to name but a few, will all be impacted by this decision regardless of whether they receive funding or not.

The decision is particularly bizarre as (some) of the EDC’s responsibilities are listed on the States of Guernsey website as: ‘The promotion and development of all sectors of business, including construction, creative industries, digital, financial services, horticulture, intellectual property, manufacturing, media, retail and tourism.’ The key word there being tourism.

We all know the costs of getting here, but if the experience once here is ‘worth it’ then the cost is incidental. Nothing left to see? Then no need to go, tourism stuffed, thank you EDC.

EDC are also mandated ‘to be accountable to the States for the management and safeguarding of public funds and other resources entrusted to the committee.’ This decision doesn’t seem to be doing that as, at a stroke, they have put many events at risk, potentially impacting on visitors who may now decide to go elsewhere. I hope there are not too many visitor cancellations due to the results of this decision.

EDC are also mandated ‘to be aware of the powers, duties and limits of the committee’s mandate and to respect and not to undermine the mandates of other committees of the States’. Well, do we still have a Tourism Committee? The rug has violently been pulled out from under their feet.

This is a decision made in isolation without thinking through the impact.

Only in Guernsey can we appoint an ‘economist’ (as EDC have this year) at a cost of probably £50,000-plus to tell us how to save £37,000 (The amount cut from The Arts Commission budget) and it seems they have also done the same to the sports funding as well.

I’m appalled that the committee think that support for the arts and sport is not helpful as a tourist attraction.

Arts and sports put real money into the States’ coffers and the exposure gained from many of these events is worth considerably more than the paltry £37,000 provided by EDC.

I am shocked that the States’ contribution is in fact so low and far from cutting it there is a case for increasing the budget as arts and sport provide worldwide coverage for what at the moment is less than an ‘economist’s’ salary.

This ‘pull up the drawbridge’ mentality is short-sighted and frankly insulting to all those people of the arts and sports community in Guernsey and a slap in the face for the huge contribution made by thousands of volunteers in both these sectors.

Not only does this decision need to be reversed but the total funding needs to be increased in recognition of the benefits reaped by the island as a whole. It is our money after all.

Previously I had always thought that deputies, with all the facts and information at their disposal, were the best people to weigh up the evidence and make an informed decision. It doesn’t look like it on this occasion and the fallout from this cavalier decision could be catastrophic.

MARK GUILLOU,

China Grove, Route de Cobo, Castel.

markguillou52@gmail.com