Arts for everyone is cheap considering its rich returns
A 25% cut won't be plugged by philanthropy. To take this paltry sum is a political gesture, not a financial necessity - full article here
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A 25% cut won't be plugged by philanthropy. To take this paltry sum is a political gesture, not a financial necessity - full article here
As every party promises to rebalance Britain's economy away from finance, the creative industries are a fast-growing sector. Between 1997 and 2007, they created two million new jobs and £16.6bn in exports. Culture drives tourism, worth £86bn in 2007. Heritage sites, equally fearful of cuts, employ another 270,000 and draw in more tourists. Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture brought 15 million visitors, making £800m for the local economy. The return from a tiny government investment is probably greater in the cultural industries than any other – every £1 the Arts Council England puts in generates another £2 from commercial sources. In the north-east, a consortium including The Sage and Baltic reported this week that every £1 of state aid brings in £4 locally.
Polly Toynbee in The Guardian (28 July 2010)
