arts council england – François Matarasso

Culture is a right, not a solution

‘This week, faith leaders, unions and others called for 2020 to be the “decade of reconciliation and reconnection”. Creating cultural

Earlier this summer, Arts Council England published a ‘Draft Strategy for Consultation’. Covering the ten years from 2020 to 2030,

English arts policy has been preoccupied recently with how to increase people’s engagement in the arts. Since most people already

It’s a genuine shock when the soprano hits her first note. The contrast between the purity of the sound and

This week has been spent at arts conferences and training days in different parts of the country. Each was rich

This is an anxious time for the 700-odd organisations who get regular funding from Arts Council England, and for those who

There’s been a lot of talk in recent years about the arts (and culture) being in crisis. There will be

State funding of culture is a very tricky thing to do in a democracy. Patrons, sponsors, customers just buy what