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Arts Council Chair talks arts and public value
Chair of Arts Council England, Sir Christopher Frayling, has delivered a speech to the Royal Society of the Arts entitled: 'The only trustworthy book: arts and public value'. Speaking to an invited audience, Frayling looked back across the 60 years since the Arts Council was created, as part of the post-war welfare state, examining how far the organisation has come; how our attitude to the arts reflects our attitude to the world in 2005; the attitudes of public and politicians to the arts; and the changing face of the arts and culture in England. '60 years after the foundation of the Arts Council, we know that the arts are more popular than ever, that the concept of public subsidy commands greater public support than ever, and that the cultures themselves have changed radically. We know the importance and necessity of a thriving arts sector to the health of the nation; to the quality and effectiveness of its education; to its civic and communal life; and to the quality of individual experience and personal lives. We know all these things – we have 60 years’ experience of them – and yet the arts continue to hold an uncomfortable place in this country’s wider political culture.' To read the full text of Sir Frayling's speech, CLICK HERE.
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