Culture of diplomacy

Recent reports that the British Council was planning a wholesale cull of arts and culture provision have been rebutted by Venu Dhupa, its Director of Arts. The Telegraph and the Evening Standard have warned about the disbandment of specialist arts departments and a reorganisation which would place the cultural team under headings such as “progressive facilitation”, “market intelligence network”, “knowledge transfer function” and “modern pioneer”.
Dhupa has told ArtsProfessional that the Telegraph in particular has misrepresented what the Council is doing, and that these ‘headings’ are merely areas of discussion: “We’re certainly not cutting the arts. Our budget will remain the same if not grow for 2009, which is our 75th anniversary year.” Potential changes, are due to go out to consultation from 22 January to the end of February. The Council’s new direction will be announced in March. “My job is to make the strongest case for the arts possible,” adds Dhupa, who was formerly the Chief Executive at Nottingham Playhouse, “I would never let the arts suffer at the hands of bureaucracy. I’m going to make this place work for the arts.”