One of the greatest pleasures of this season has been the restoration of London to its former splendor, with its theatres and opera halls lit up and packed with people.
The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker and Henry V at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, a meditation on patriotism, what it means to be English, and a nation’s trauma at the death of a monarch, have both been available in the previous few weeks.
Although sometimes perceived as frivolous or elite, galleries, concerts, and museums produce substantial revenue and employment. Also, the various forms of innovation in which the United Kingdom excels, such as software, games, and computer services, contribute to the economy.
According to recent figures, the creative sector contributed £109 billion to the UK economy in 2021, or approximately 2.3% of the total GDP.
Whether it’s Adele’s return tour or eccentric fashion, British talent sells exceptionally well abroad.
In 2020, the United Kingdom was the second largest music exporter in the world, a position we credit to artists such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
As acknowledged by the government, the arts may also play an essential role in achieving equality by creating regional pride and enhancing the quality of life in the regions.
London should not receive an excessive amount of funds at the expense of the rest of the nation.
However, using the arts to advance an agenda of equality requires sensitivity and intelligence. If not, it will be more harmful than beneficial.
The Arts Council England’s attempts to coerce the English National Opera (ENO) into relocating to Manchester by threatening to cut its funding appears to be a textbook example of how not to proceed.
In its investment program for 2023 to 2026, the Arts Council has allocated £383 million to the North. This, however, was accompanied by threats against ENO, which lost its status as a “national portfolio organization” entitled to guaranteed funding.
Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, an opera singer, has initiated a petition that has been signed by tens of thousands of individuals. On Christmas morning, he reported that ENO informed him that it is now in talks with Arts Council England and will provide news on future financing by mid-January.
There may still be a happy ending for ENO, but it would not change the ridiculousness of the entire story.
The assumption, with a condescending superiority, that the only way to bring culture to the North is to import it from the capital is demeaning to both of these magnificent cities.
Nurturing the creative industry in the regions is more likely to succeed if it focuses on locally rooted theatres, galleries, and artistic endeavors.
MPs from both main parties, including Sir Bob Neill, the Conservative chairman of the all-party opera group, have criticized the Arts Council’s conduct.
It is a disturbing incident that reveals a disregard for ENO and the arts in general.
Creativity is too vital to the economy and society for it to be subjected to such threats of cultural destruction.
