With a new government, any reset of Arts Council England must have at its core the principle of real independence rather than 'toxic compromise', writes Richard Bratby.
The rays of the sun vanquish the night! The golden Labour morning has finally broken and in the classical music world, they’re celebrating like Sarastro’s disciples at the end of Die Zauberflöte. Lovely flute-playing Sir Keir is the piper at the gates of dawn and any minute now the money sluices will open once more.
If anyone’s noticed that this particular sunrise seems a touch greyer, and a lot more drizzly than the fondly-remembered Year Zero of 1997…well, they need more faith. This is the arts sector: we’re all about speaking truth to power. And the truth — clearly — is that now our lot is back in charge everything’s going to be wonderful.
“Our country is experiencing a moment of generational political transformation,” declared Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, in the Observer last weekend. “Britain needs a cultural reboot” read the headline and it’s clear that Sir Nicholas, for one, welcomes our new overlords... Keep reading on The Critic.
The rays of the sun vanquish the night! The golden Labour morning has finally broken and in the classical music world, they’re celebrating like Sarastro’s disciples at the end of Die Zauberflöte. Lovely flute-playing Sir Keir is the piper at the gates of dawn and any minute now the money sluices will open once more.
If anyone’s noticed that this particular sunrise seems a touch greyer, and a lot more drizzly than the fondly-remembered Year Zero of 1997…well, they need more faith. This is the arts sector: we’re all about speaking truth to power. And the truth — clearly — is that now our lot is back in charge everything’s going to be wonderful.
“Our country is experiencing a moment of generational political transformation,” declared Sir Nicholas Serota, chairman of Arts Council England, in the Observer last weekend. “Britain needs a cultural reboot” read the headline and it’s clear that Sir Nicholas, for one, welcomes our new overlords... Keep reading on The Critic.