Pierre d’Alancaisez questions how Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire plans to put creative industries at the heart of economic growth in the absence of any new funds.
In the fervour over Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport failed to make the headlines. That the twelfth Conservative culture secretary in thirteen years Lucy Frazer prevailed in her role is a sign that the Tories think all is just fine in culture. Indeed, while Braverman and Cameron were making waves, Frazer was celebrating that “the creative industries have grown 1.5x faster than the rest of the economy” and launching WeCreate, a bizarre arts job fair that promotes careers in… HR and hairdressing.
But after a decade of funding cuts, nobody in the arts takes Frazer’s promise to grow the industry by £50 billion at all seriously. Artists don’t understand these figures anyhow and most couldn’t tell you what DCMS stands for. They’re sure of one thing, however: they all hate the Tories. Since 2010, the arts have been praying for a change in Government. Polling suggests their wish will be granted. But what would Labour do with the arts? Will it be good for them?...Keep reading on The Critic.
In the fervour over Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport failed to make the headlines. That the twelfth Conservative culture secretary in thirteen years Lucy Frazer prevailed in her role is a sign that the Tories think all is just fine in culture. Indeed, while Braverman and Cameron were making waves, Frazer was celebrating that “the creative industries have grown 1.5x faster than the rest of the economy” and launching WeCreate, a bizarre arts job fair that promotes careers in… HR and hairdressing.
But after a decade of funding cuts, nobody in the arts takes Frazer’s promise to grow the industry by £50 billion at all seriously. Artists don’t understand these figures anyhow and most couldn’t tell you what DCMS stands for. They’re sure of one thing, however: they all hate the Tories. Since 2010, the arts have been praying for a change in Government. Polling suggests their wish will be granted. But what would Labour do with the arts? Will it be good for them?...Keep reading on The Critic.