Time for a change
jcomp/freepik
The Cambridge dictionary defines the word ‘tradition’ as “a belief, principle, or way of acting that people in a particular society or group have continued to follow for a long time, or all of these beliefs, etc. in a particular society or group.” British traditions are many – tea (especially in a crisis), queueing, Sunday roast dinner, the pub for a pint, talking about the weather (incessantly) and, oh, so many more. Tradition is a thing here. The be all and end all. Held on to so fiercely that you can see the veins bulging.
Tradition keeps one’s culture close. It is a marker of one’s identity. Fish and chips are a British tradition. Poutine and ice skating are Canadian traditions. Carnival is a Trinidadian tradition. All of these are also cultural markers of identity. Common identity means belonging. Common traditions mean common identity means belonging.
Tradition in the arts is strong. Tradition in arts in the UK is strong. (Confession: I – Devilishly – as a Canadian, have yet to really get to grips with panto and “He’s behind you!” and why everyone gets so excited about it. “It’s TRADITION!”. Um. Okay.) Traditional venues, traditional productions, traditional audiences, traditional hiring, traditional choices of performers. All held on to for dear life. All recognizable and therefore, comfortable. Safe.
The thing is – tradition doesn’t always invite inclusivity. Attempts to inject something different, something new are often met with “we don’t do that” or “it’s not what we do, here”, Frustrating and disappointing. Understandable, though. Who would welcome a change to one’s identity? That’s some scary sh*t.
But, let’s consider this – we are (at the time of writing) in the midst of a pandemic with no discernable timeline. The arts world is currently on a forced hiatus. Whatever your identity or culture or tradition, we’re all kind of in the same boat. As we sit (making sourdough bread, safely, with masks on), we have the best view of our world (supposedly?) disappearing and with front row seats, watching the ensuing panic. British theatre “on the brink of ruin”. Seasons at the Met, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House are cancelled. Proper end-of-days stuff.
It’s a PAUSE. In the grand (see what I did there?) scheme of things, it’s a breath. And with this breath, comes the levelling of the playing field. We’re ALL in the same boat. When this all starts up again, there is an opportunity to start from the same place. There is an opportunity to create new traditions. Note – we didn’t say change tradition. This is an opportunity to have the decision makers reflect their society. This is an opportunity to tell the stories of everyone who lives around us (newsflash – different cultures exist and live among us…). This is an opportunity to have performers that represent the society around them. This is the opportunity to have an audience that sees themselves on stage and hear their stories told.
Going back to the “way it was” is an easy option, maybe even a lazy one. Yeah, it worked. For some of the people, part of the time. This Pandemic Pause and the time to reflect, gives us a chance to truly move forward. Not sideways. Not backwards. “It’s tradition” doesn’t work anymore. Change the dance steps. Why not challenge instead of pander to the fear? We speak of a “new normal”. Let’s emphasize the new.
Always moving forwards…