Home Journal of Cultural Economics Article
The moral foundations of public funding for the arts. Michael Rushton. Palgrave MacMillan
Book Review
Published: 20 August 2024
Well, that’s science as it is described these days. Inna Journal, see?
One of the references is to this:
All of which leads to an interesting conclusion. There might, just, be an arguable justification for subsidy to education in the arts: youth orchestras perhaps, drama lessons. But it would appear that there really is no justification for taxing the dustman so that the Duke can have his opera or the demagogue his drama.
The conclusion being that we now have a policy prescription. The teaching of the arts, certainly, life enriching and part of any decent education. So put that in the education system and then we can close down the entirety of the Arts Council and all the luvvies that hang from it. A good half a billion in savings and as the man said, 500 million here and 500 million there and pretty soon you’re talking real money.
I don’t know whether the reference is to approve of that sentiment or argue with it but still – nice to be a building block of science, right?
lol
I am against public funding of the Arts. We touched on this the other day. However my thinking is coloured by the fact that we in Britain ( dunno about NI ) seem to do it so badly.
Other countries don’t appear to have the problems that we do of hand wringing about supporting opera or galleries. We now concentrate on subsidising hip hop and graffiti classes.
I was at a hustings before the election where arts policy was discussed. The Green lady amazingly had some sensible things to say. Pretty thin gruel from Lab and Con. But there was one guy in the audience who commented that we should not sponsor ‘elite art’. Berk. “Bums on seats you fucking moron. That’s all that counts.” I muttered under my breath.
A good example of this is that the biggest sellers in the local Big Town’s theatre are the touring operas.
When I was at school, what passed for art or music lessons did not engender any real interest in the subject and I could not study them academically without practical ability at which I was a complete duffer. I gather now that music is not taught at all.
Anyway my view now is that they can all disappear diwn the bog. If places are turning BP or Shell’s sponsorship away they deserve to die.
Sorry bit of a rant there.
Ottokring,
“A good example of this is that the biggest sellers in the local Big Town’s theatre are the touring operas.”
There is plenty of demand for Carmen, La Traviata etc. And why wouldn’t there be? They were popular works back when they were created. They weren’t ART, they were popular entertainment. OK, it’s a little more demanding because of the language than South Pacific.
Covent Garden will sell all the tickets, everything from £35 up in the balcony to £200 in the stalls. There’s at least half a dozen opera festivals I can think of that run without subsidies.
It’s the obscure work, the commissioned operas, that are a huge cost. Like they used to pay for Harrison Birtwhistle’s garbage and were almost giving away tickets.
“The Arts” are so often about virtue-signalling. I like the American point: it was Jack Kennedy who prattled about the Arts and it was Dick Nixon who played the piano.
I suppose our equivalent would be that it was Dame Labourina who prattles about the Arts and it was Churchill who daubed.
And I say this as someone who does enjoy an opera.
Well, they may despise us, but they don’t mind taking our money to fund their hobbies.
I remember seeing the D’Oyly Carte touring company doing Iolanthe in a tent on midsummer common. That company was NOT saved by the arts council,
Person in Pictland,
Absolutely. And I’m fine if that’s patronage. Hans and Julia Rausing give the sort of money to the Royal Opera that means they get a “with grateful thanks to…” on every programme. And maybe some of that is to show off to her friends. I don’t care. I get slightly cheaper or better opera in exchange.
But you can virtue signal with your own time or money. Go buy a Royal Opera t-shirt or join the Friends and invite a friend along to one of the special rehearsals.
“Cultural economics”?
Hans Senior popped his clogs a while back. As did Julia, Junior’s wife.
I assume he reported her death rather more promptly.
You can keep your I Pagliacci. Here’s a whole opera done in three minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fB81M-nrl4
Does UK funding Chinese opera count as arts or education?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/08/21/taxpayers-fund-chinese-opera-foreign-aid-richer-regions-uk/
Taxpayers fund Chinese opera as foreign aid handed to overseas regions richer than parts of UK
‘We now concentrate on subsidising hip hop and graffiti classes’
It seems every exhibition these days has to be by a minority/foreigner/woman/alpabet person. White, male British artists appear to be verboten.
taxing the dustman so that the Duke can have his opera or the demagogue his drama
It’s a great line, and worthy of citation. If only there was a substitute word for opera that began with a d, or a working class job with an o.
Taxing the bin man so that the Baron can have his ballet.
If I want to see the Rolling Stones I have to pay.
No subsidies for the arts, ever.
Why should poor people subsidies rich people to go to the opera?