Some European countries give 18-year-olds vouchers to invest in cultural spending. Anttoni James Numminen says the UK should follow suit.
Arts and cultural education have resulted in some of the greatest and most successful UK exports – from the BBC’s television programmes, to musicians and designers. But it seems this Conservative government is intent on scrapping what little remains of arts education and British soft power.
“I want you to have a job at the end… because I’m interested in outputs”, is what education secretary Nadhim Zahawi recently told me when I asked him about the role of higher education in today’s society.
This encapsulates what seems to be an increasingly common and harmful way of thinking about education and culture in Britain today. Put in other words: “If it doesn’t make a profit, we’re not interested.”
This is why we should follow Italy’s example and give everyone turning 18 a £500 culture bonus that could be spent on anything cultural, including books, instruments, concert tickets and music streaming.
I can only imagine what it would have felt like to be granted such freedom as an 18-year-old...Keep reading on The Independent.
Arts and cultural education have resulted in some of the greatest and most successful UK exports – from the BBC’s television programmes, to musicians and designers. But it seems this Conservative government is intent on scrapping what little remains of arts education and British soft power.
“I want you to have a job at the end… because I’m interested in outputs”, is what education secretary Nadhim Zahawi recently told me when I asked him about the role of higher education in today’s society.
This encapsulates what seems to be an increasingly common and harmful way of thinking about education and culture in Britain today. Put in other words: “If it doesn’t make a profit, we’re not interested.”
This is why we should follow Italy’s example and give everyone turning 18 a £500 culture bonus that could be spent on anything cultural, including books, instruments, concert tickets and music streaming.
I can only imagine what it would have felt like to be granted such freedom as an 18-year-old...Keep reading on The Independent.