Review by Mary Schwarz, Lecturer in Culture, Creativity and Work, Dartington College of Arts (PEER, 2000, ISBN 0-9539 7720-X £18.00 [£23.85 inc p&p*])
A core cultural policy text doubling as coffee table arts book, Arts for All invites and holds attention in its intriguing mix of images, jokes, polemics, arguments, documents and anecdotes. The key issues of accessibility, accountability and instrumentality are examined and challenged in this informed debate on the principles of state support for the arts.
I found myself not merely dipping in, but reading for a purpose. Memorable strands? The 50 line long Proposed Sculpture by David Bartholomew, which should be pinned on the noticeboard of anyone involved in public art; Jes Fernie?s Swiftian response to access: feed artists to the masses; and the importance of Helen Gould?s assertion that developmental community based work demands specialist expertise.
An historical perspective comes from the selected texts 1945-1997.The path runs from Lord Keynes to Chris Smith via Jennie Lee, the Arts Council of Great Britain?s Report of the Community Arts Working Party, the Glory of the Garden and the National Arts and Media Strategy (remember?).
* SAM?s Books is a specialist supplier of books for arts professionals. For further information and invoicing, t/f: 01883 345011 e: books@sam-arts.demon.co.uk, w: http://www.sam-arts.demon.co.uk