Why is creativity in Great Britain now circumscribed to history?

[Ironhouse]

There are no major feats of art, culture or sports to speak of, at home or globally?

It all feels very much dull and stone grey.

The only thing I can think that's come out of this era is? ...

Why's it come to this folks?

Oh no I love people disagreeing with me so we can have a debate, but that necessitates the other person formulating something to discuss, not swearing at me and responding to questions.

Or accusing people of having black-and-white thinking because they don't share your attitude to religion?

In what way am I accusing people of having black and white thinking? And what do you think my views on religion are?

I think this is it!! You have a look at the philosophy/religion conversations on here, all you see is “give me evidence” “how can you prove it”

everything is black and white, right and wrong. Imagination is key to everything (inc science) but it’s continually shut down these days (and the most imaginative people drugged up)

Not believing in god because of a lack of evidence is perfectly valid. And yet you lobby insults at people who hold this view.

There is shed loads of creatives in Scotland & it's bursting with writers, artists, musicians, makers, film & TV, poets, photographers. But it's been underfunded because Tories don't like people who think outside the box.

Well I haven’t sworn at anyone lol. To help, I’ll clarify my points.

So my comment regarding religion is the need for “scientific”-type evidence which, I would argue is incompatible with non- material issues.

The point regarding black and white thinking, right or wrong, is, somewhat separate to this (although linked to popular, and I would say, inaccurate, views of science). Actually black and white thinking lends itself quite well to Religion (the nuance here is really in the hypothesis).

Still interested to hear what you think my views on religion are.

There's a current trend for STEM - lots of creative subjects in school are tiny groups & sometimes don't run. I think the cost of going to uni has made students obsess about future salaries & a degree in Art or English may not result in a well paid job like a degree in say Computer Science or Maths. It's a bit depressing.

altho if an unmade bed is creative, most of the teenagers in this country, and me, would be considered creative!

Well OP said 'out of this era' which is what I based my list on. And lots of things on it are annual events that still happen...

I don't disagree that arts funding has been cut to the bone, and that's a sad indictment of this government, but that can also be a creative catalyst - for those asking where are our creative equivalents of punk, punk wasn't created by people with an arts council grant!

But if we're talking about current, how about:

Dave
Self-Esteem
The 1975
Stormzy
Edward Enniful
Self Portrait
The Vampire's Wife
Erdem
Wet Leg
Somerset House exhibitions
Frieze art fair
First Light Pavilion
Boss Morris
The upcoming Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration
Roundhouse Birmingham
Regent's Park Theatre
Balimaya Project
Mo Gilligan
Bridget Christie
Matthew Bourne
Four Quartets at the Theatre Royal, Bath
Tracy Emin
Arctic Monkeys - The Car
My Dad Wrote a Porno
Little Simz
Griefcast
Shagged Married Annoyed
Aitch
Charli XCX
FKA Twigs
The Elizabeth Line architecture
Richard E Grant's new book
Zadie Smith
Jonathan Coe
Ali Smith
Maggie O'Farrell
Steve McQueen

I could go on, and on, and on...

Yes exactly. I've been to plenty of gigs in Manchester and surrounding areas.
You don't HAVE to go to mega venues. There are plenty of others.

So the upsurge in women's sports being recognised isn't a worthy enough?

There is a lack of funding but that doesn't stop creatives, and never has. Creative people are creative because that's who they are. And the Internet gives them a place to be creative and share. It might not rock the whole world but it'll certainly affect some people. And sometimes the "right" people catch on to those and make them mainstream

My Dad Wrote a Porno, for example, started off as a small podcast that ended up having tours. Or Post Modern Jukebox who started on YouTube and now tour.

Vloggers and TikTokers, as much as we might eyeroll at some of the "influences" who just want free stuff, are also some of the biggest creatives out there and help encourage and educated others in their ways.

Even the "dreaded" Drag Queens, whilst lambasted as some kind of wicked predator now, are a hugely creative industry of people who design and create fashions and some are well known around the world due to Drag Race

Grayson Perry's Art Show
Street art on every corner
The incredible shows we see on TV - Ghosts, Happy Valley, The Outlaws
Choirs thriving in every town and city
Live music on in pubs and venues every night of the week
Weekend arts trails across the country
Open gardens
Knit and natter groups
Art and craft courses everywhere
Home made christmas wreaths on every door
The amazing food and stuff people create on their allotments
Piano man
Free exhibitions in museums and galleries
Hauser and Wirth in Somerset
Instagram
The way people dress and decorate their gardens.

Creativity is everywhere.

This must just be your perspective. I’m absolutely blown away by up and coming talent in the UK day in, day out! Music/ art / film.. so much!

Craft Fayres are huge things now and can often be over subscribed by local crafters
Repair Shop, Make Me a Maker, Great Pottery Throw Down...

Creativity isn't just in films and TV dramas and music

I came on to say this!

Also, go to the RIBA website and look at some amazing new architecture.

Artists come here from all over the world to exhibit. Our creative universities are world renowned. Music, drama, theatre, musicals, TV, film, advertising. We punch above our weight in all of these, if not perhaps as much as we once did.

I think it's a glass half empty you're seeing. The internet has democratised art, so we might be seeing more diversity from across the world than we used to. And because of that, it's hard to truly dominate a field in the way used to happen when only a select handful of privileged white men could create art.

Music is shite right now I agree. But their are talented people out there I am sure.

I do disagree partly though. I think now more than ever we are moving back to the beauty of things (which seemed lost for decades compared to how old jugs or everyday objects were intricately crafted ). Now you can go on the internet and get something for the same price which does the job but also looks beautiful. I think it starts small and will become the norm. Hopefully!

But I do recognise the wider image your talking about. I think a lot of it is because we are stingy as a nation. We seemed to lose value in beauty, or pride - when I don’t know. But the garden bridge in London is a good example. These large ‘gentrification’ projects are good things. But no. Let’s just all look at tarmac and trudge around in puddles. Grey grey grey.

You can insult someone without swearing.

I don't know what exactly your views are, but it's clear you think anyone who approaches religion or spirituality with the perspective of looking for evidence as inferior and uncreative.

I think it's a lot to do with living expenses being so high, rent sky high, wages low, so little time outside of working hard to be creative as you're so tired. I speak as a creative in this situation. Studying creative subjects out of the question for many people unless rich. People more inclined to stay at home than go out and mingle with other creative types for financial reasons and exhausted from work etc.

I don’t see why the dole should prop people up while they make ‘art’ most of us don’t like anyway.

Six The Musical is the best example I can think of - of properly good UK-based creativity that’s already had an impact

But I’m so glad to be reminded of all the others!

You seem incredibly sensitive on this point, why?

I don’t think they’re inferior, I think you’re doing an awful lot of projecting here. I haven’t insulted you at all. Whereas you started off swearing at me, you have clearly been searching my posts by suddenly commenting on long established threads I’m on (which I thought wasn’t considered cricket here).

I stand by my perspective that I do not consider scientific methodology suitable for analysing non- material points such as the existence of divine beings. This is something within the realm of imagination and creativity. This is not only my view but the view of many mystical traditions and individual mystics of various creeds throughout time. “There are more things in heaven and earth Horatian than are dreamed of in your philosophy” The sticking to one philosophy which is really entirely inappropriate in trying to understand something, does, I think, indicate a lack of creativity and imagination, esp in the context of religion.

I am perfectly happy to debate alternative perspectives. Yet, despite my prompting, you have repeatedly failed to put forward any logical arguments to counter my position. It’s clear by your own admission you don’t understand what my perspective is. All you have used from the off is ad hominem statements.

I suspect what you saw is the word “Religion” and this triggered some kind of cross phobia and experiences where religious people have made you feel inferior or wrong in some way. Unfortunately, this is a common situation and I’m sorry if this is what you have experienced but is a somewhat universal phenomenon in organised religion as it is a consequence of its structure. I don’t follow an organised religion and certainly don’t adhere to such othering which organised religion necessitates.

Now, if you want to enter into a debate about the appropriateness of scientific methodology to establish the existence of spirit I’m more than happy to do so. If you would like to discuss the role and necessity of imagination and creativity in spirituality, I’d love to, it would be great to discuss the effect of the Enlightenment on the imagination. I’m not willing to act as a punch bag for any past religious trauma (although happy to discuss that in a reasoned way too).

I think it’s going to be interesting to see what effect the ever increasing use of AI has on creativity. If people start using AI to research, store and assimilate lots of information do people think this is going to affect the brain’s ability to be creative as it no longer needs to perform these tasks to the same level.

Old person, "New music is rubbish these days."
Young person, "It's not for you."