Culture Chronicle

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In An Era of Austerity, Reasons to Fund The Arts: Culture Is A Social Language That We Would Be Dumb Without
The Art Newspaper - July 6, 2010
By Robert Hewison

It is 70 years since a British government last had to take the arts seriously. In December 1939, in a world darkened by war, winter and blackout, a small group of civil servants and educators met to discuss the crisis in the arts. Great museums and galleries were empty, their contents packed off to safety from bombing. The theatres were shut, orchestras about to disband. The committee agreed that it was essential "to show publicly and unmistakably that the Government cares about the cultural life of the country. This country is supposed to be fighting for civilisation."

In 1940, with an initial budget of £50,000 (about £2 million in today's values) the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts, mother to today's Arts Council, was born. The Daily Express thundered: "What madness is this? There is no such thing as culture in wartime."

No one pretends we are back in 1940. Our museums are jammed with visitors from all over the world. The West End has had its best year ever. London has too many orchestras. In 1940 there were civic museums and concert halls outside London, but now Britain enjoys a cultural infrastructure second to none, thanks to a National Lottery whose receipts have risen since the recession.

Yet the arts feel under siege. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has to cut £88 million from this year's spending. Deeper cuts are expected after the comprehensive spending review in the autumn. No wonder the Arts Council England (ACE) is desperate for help in making its case. After decades of public and private initiatives, reports, conference and consultations, we are still looking for a "rational" argument for funding the arts.* For the full article, click here*