Thanks, Munira - looks like a good event; I've accepted the invite
see you there
all best
maurice
PS in case you're interested I'm in a 'debate' at the Courtauld on is there a crisis in curatorship on Monday 30th at 6
Maurice Davies
Deputy Director
Museums Association
24 Calvin St, London E1 6NW
020 7426 6952 direct
020 7426 6970 MA reception
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
www.museumsassociation.org <http://www.museumsassociation.org>
-----Original Message-----
From: MLA Cultural Diversity Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Munira Mirza
Sent: 24 January 2006 12:08
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Invitation
Please find below an invitation to the launch event for a book I have edited
called "Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy damaging the arts?" on Tuesday
7th February, 6.30pm. I hope you can make it along.
Also pasted below is a press release for the book.
Best wishes
Munira Mirza
--
You are invited to the launch of 'Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy
damaging the arts?' on Tuesday 7th February, 6.30pm.
Politicians today often claim that the arts are now not only good in
themselves, but make a vital contribution to the economy, urban regeneration
and social inclusion. But is there actually any evidence to support this?
This collection of essays shows that many of the claims made about the
social benefits of arts are exaggerated, resulting in wasteful projects of
poor artistic quality. The criteria for funding means that arts
organisations are drowning under a tidal wave of 'tick boxes and targets'.
Speakers:
Hugo Swire MP, Shadow Minister for Culture
Mark Fisher MP, former Labour Minister for the Arts
Prof. Sara Selwood, Head of Cultural Policy and Management, City University
Andrew Brighton, arts writer and commentator
Josie Appleton, writer and author of 'Museums for the People'
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Policy Exchange offices, 10 Storeys Gate, London SW1P 3AY (nearest
tube: Westminster or St James)
RSVP: [log in to unmask] or 020 7340 2650
--
"Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy damaging the arts?" edited by Munira
Mirza. £10, ISBN 0-9551909-0-8
--
PRESS RELEASE
Government has created culture of bad art
Government policy has created a culture of bad art, finds a new study to be
launched by the think tank Policy Exchange on Tuesday February 7th 2006.
'Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy is damaging the arts?', shows official
claims about the social benefits of art are based on exaggeration, and that
arts practice suffers as a result.
The study warns that Government arts spending has become skewered by the
'social inclusion' agenda and warns of a 'culture of mediocrity', resulting
in wasteful and ineffective social policies.
"Whilst this government has given generous funding to the arts, the evidence
suggests they have been damaged as a result. Official thinking is slave to
bureaucratic policy targets rather than the spirit of creativity" says the
report's editor, Munira Mirza says,
The authors are a mixture of influential academics and commentators, who
show the failure of arts-based projects funded by the Arts Council and DCMS
(Department for Culture, Media and Sport) to deliver on promised goals. "If
you read the policy literature, it seems uncontroversial that the arts can
stimulate economic growth, reduce social exclusion and improve our health -
in short transform our society. Yet, as this book seeks to show, there is
surprisingly little evidence for these claims," Mirza argues.
Eleonora Belfiore, of Warwick University adds that Government's discussion
about the social impact of the arts relies on "a very selective use of the
available information and evidence. The growing trend towards
instrumentality has not been slowed down by the obvious lack of evidence of
the existence of such impacts".
Commentator, Josie Appleton, points out the phenomenal growth in spending on
'public art' in town spaces. In 2002, the National Lottery reported that in
the previous six years it had spent £72.5million on 1500 public art
projects. In the 1990s 659 permanent sculptures were built; meaning that
today, we are building six times as many sculptures than during the high
point of 'statuemania', between 1900-9.
But, no one asks about the quality of the art: "today's public art is not
really the expression of community values or desires: it's driven by
officialdom. The regeneration industry has become a law unto itself,
developing its own standards and methods for evaluating public art," says
Appleton.
The criteria for funding means that organisations are drowning under a tidal
wave of 'tick boxes and targets' measuring their social impact. Professor
Sara Selwood, at City University and leading expert on arts policy states,
"For many people working in the sector, the requirement to collect data
represents a growth of state power and bureaucracy". Andrew Brighton, an
arts writer, complains, "the autonomy of expertise, which is crucial to the
integrity of the arts, has been undermined". Many artists are beginning to
feel that their work is only valued if they can prove they have a social
impact.
Critics also aim their fire at local authorities, one of the largest funders
of the arts in Britain. James Heartfield argues, "local authorities have
also turned to cultural regeneration as a phoney substitute for real
economic revival. For the residents of those cities, much-needed economic
regeneration has been put on hold. Instead of renewing infrastructure, every
municipal government has prettified cities with flowers, festivals,
paintings and sculptures."
The authors include recommendations to Whitehall and arts quangos:
· More honest and independent use of evidence in cultural policy. Too much
research is driven by arts advocacy and is therefore biased.
· Less bureaucracy around arts funding. The funding framework forces artists
to spend valuable time and resources on 'ticking boxes', at the expense of
producing excellent work.
· Debate about true value of the arts. The government and arts quangos
should promote the importance of art for its own sake.
For more information or to arrange an interview with the book's editor or
contributors, please contact Munira Mirza: [log in to unmask] or
07980 551 945.
--
Notes to editors:
1. Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy is damaging the arts?, edited by
Munira Mirza, is published by the independent think tank Policy Exchange,
London. It is sponsored by the City of London.
2. The chapters look at the impact of the arts in the field of urban
regeneration, the economy, health and wellbeing, public space and community
cohesion, and social inclusion. The contributors are:
Josie Appleton, arts and cultural commentator.
Dr. Eleonora Belfiore, Research Fellow in Centre for Cultural Policy Studies
at Warwick University specialising in social impact of arts.
Andrew Brighton, former Head of Events at Tate Modern and arts writer.
James Heartfield, University of Westminster, writer and lecturer on cultural
regeneration.
Munira Mirza, University of Kent and writer/broadcaster on arts and
multiculturalism.
Professor Sara Selwood, Head of Cultural Policy and Management at City
University and the country's leading expert on arts statistical trends.
3. Policy Exchange is an independent think tank whose mission is to develop
and promote fresh policies that encourage freedom for individuals and
communities.
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