So far the election campaign has the feel of a bidding war, with parties attempting to out do each other in their promises to reduce the deficit, give the NHS more and not raise taxes in any way ‘hard working families’ will notice. This equation appears to summon up the perfect storm for any public expenditure that is not ‘ring fenced’. Concerned that in this political climate the value of culture is all to easily dismissed, the Warwick Commission undertook an investigation into ‘The Future of Cultural Value’. The commission’s findings and pithy recommendations from twelve months of study were published in February hoping to influence the debates currently underway.
The list of commissioners is a stellar run-down of UK cultural VIPs, plus sneaking in at the end, adding a bit of je ne sais quoi, James Yarker. Don’t let this put you off reading the document, it really is good and I really didn’t contribute enough to spoil it in any way.