Art Is For Everyone

"Art is for everyone" asserts art critic Brian Sewell in the BBC's Daily Politics film Soapbox. He believes the Arts Council should be abolished and replaced with Dragons Den funding bids run directly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Why? Because 75% of the funds handed out by the Arts Council goes to rich institutions, such as the Royal Opera House, and the remaining 25% is spread very thinly among grass-roots arts projects. His contention is a great starting point for debate, but would small arts projects get a fairer crack of the whip if Government were to play Dragons Den? And does visual art require any Government funding at all? A fifth of adults in a recent survey said "No" (CLICK). I tend to agree with that fifth. If art is truly for everyone, it becomes commercial and doesn't require Government handouts. Dan Dare from The Eagle is a good example. In the visual arts, only elitist tripe which repels the general public needs Government funds.