Recent Discussions |
Valuing the arts in an age of austerityJune 2011Angus Kennedy, Dr Kim Wiltshire and John Summers will discuss how the arts sector can ensure excellence in the midst of dramatic budget cutsThe Arts in general have always had a difficult time in attracting public and private funding for their activities, but with widespread cuts in public spending budgets, including the arts, financial considerations on which productions and organisations will and which won't go ahead will be more difficult than recently. The economic crisis and subsequent funding cuts are forcing many in the arts to reappraise how they argue the case for funding.
The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is investigating techniques to assess the economic value of the arts, what it terms non-market goods, in terms of what people feel they would be willing to pay for things if they were not free.
And the February 2011 Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) pamphlet entitled 'Arts Funding, Austerity and the Big Society: Remaking the case for the arts' states:
Whilst the pamphlet sets out to define a daring and bold response to the challenge presented by the cuts in funding, is there something wanting in the solutions offered? This discussion aims to challenge the participation approach of chasing audiences in favour of more compelling reasons why the arts should receive public funding and ask some difficult questions such as: just how should we value the arts? Are the arts a luxury or a necessity? Do they have intrinsic value or are they best assessed in terms of outcome and impact? Does what the public think they want or like matter or should we fund the arts regardless? Do the arts even need or deserve public funding at all? Listen again (not miked so variable quality)...
Speakers' introductions - click on the Play button:
Initial audience comments - click on the Play button:
Speakers' responses - click on the Play button:
Concluding comments - click on the Play button: Some background readingsCan the arts save the economy?, listen again to this Battle of Ideas 2009 session The Hallé Orchestra is world class again, by Petroc Trelawny, Telegraph Blogs 02 October 2009 Just what are the arts good for?, watch and listen again to this Battle of Ideas 2010 satellite event Crisis? The arts have rarely been in better health, Simon Jenkins, London Evening Standard, 23 February 2010 Arts bodies braced for fresh cuts, by Ian Youngs, BBC News 16 November 2010 The arts and cultural sector faces ‘apocalyptic’ cuts in austere Britain, by Dave O'Brien, LSE Blog 31 January 2011 Arts Funding, Austerity and the Big Society: Remaking the case for the arts' RSA pamphlet, February 2011 Arts Council funding decision day: as it happened, Guardian, Culture cuts blog, 30 March 2011 Melvin Bragg: why the arts have replaced heavy industry, The Telegraph, 12 May 2011 The true value of nature is not a number with a pound sign in front, George Monbiot, Guardian, 06 June 2011 (a wider context article on putting a price on non-market goods) Discussion SponsorsMany thanks to tricia designs for sponsoring this discussion, helping pay for the printing costs for the Salon's promotional leaflets. If you are looking for original, unique and exquisitely detailed designs then tricia designs offer a wide selection of themes from traditional and fine floral to cute and cuddly. You will find the design that best suits your requirements as each design utilities Tricia’s extensive craft skills and intricate attention to detail, ensuring quality images right for each customer. Contact tricia designs through Tricia Harrison on 0161 928 1835 or browse to http://www.triciadesigns.co.uk/ |