Words, words, words
In answer to a question in the House of Commons on Monday 16th April, David Lammy (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Culture, Media & Sport) said, “The role of culture in (urban) regeneration has recently been strengthened by a joint agreement signed by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, the Department for Communities and Local Government and a number of non-departmental public bodies.”
Hardly the clearest of answers, to non-parliamentarians at any rate, but it is yet another governmental nod in the direction of the importance of culture.
We’re getting pretty used to them: the government is very keen on pointing out that it recognises the importance of culture and the arts, that it knows that the cultural industries are amongst the most important in the country, that culture plays an important role in the regeneration of communities, that the arts are an important ingredient in its inclusivity strategy, that artists are wonderful people and everyone in government loves them dearly.
Well, perhaps not the latter, but this is a government which makes all the right noises. It has now brought to the fore its plans for a four year Cultural Olympiad between 2008 and the actual London Olympics in 2012.
Isn’t it exciting?
Well, no. It would be exciting if it was prepared to put its money where its mouth is, but it’s only a week or thereabouts since we heard how the National Lottery Grants for the Arts and the regular Arts Council England grant-in-aid are to be cut - to pay for the Olympics. Perhaps they’re going to give us some of that back - and then tell us how generous they’re being: “Yes, we had to take some money from you to pay for the Olympics, but look at the new money you’re getting for the Cultural Olympiad.”
This government has perfected the art of renaming its various pots of money and calling them new. Same money (but almost certainly reduced) but put in a new pot.
Do they really think we are so stupid that we can’t see what they’re doing?