David Stevenson asks Scotland to remember that subsidising specific arts events is not the same as delivering culture for all.
It’s August and once again Edinburgh is festooned with creativity. Street performers holler from stilts, venues thrum to sound of rhythms new and familiar, and colourful posters clamour for attention. Culture and creativity is everywhere. Well, certain types of culture are everywhere, and when I say everywhere I of course mean the city centre of Edinburgh. Yet for all that the festivals are lauded as world-class, they are not for everyone and nor should they be. Cultural participation is as much about what you don’t participate in as what you do.
The Edinburgh festivals receive significant public subsidy and there are many arguments in support of this, not least artistic development and the economic returns generated. However, cultural policy is not solely about supporting the arts and artists or attracting high spending tourists... Keep reading on The Scotsman
It’s August and once again Edinburgh is festooned with creativity. Street performers holler from stilts, venues thrum to sound of rhythms new and familiar, and colourful posters clamour for attention. Culture and creativity is everywhere. Well, certain types of culture are everywhere, and when I say everywhere I of course mean the city centre of Edinburgh. Yet for all that the festivals are lauded as world-class, they are not for everyone and nor should they be. Cultural participation is as much about what you don’t participate in as what you do.
The Edinburgh festivals receive significant public subsidy and there are many arguments in support of this, not least artistic development and the economic returns generated. However, cultural policy is not solely about supporting the arts and artists or attracting high spending tourists... Keep reading on The Scotsman