Sport vs arts?

Munira Mirza, the Mayor of London’s cultural adviser, was given a difficult ride and accused of giving “slippery” answers at a meeting of the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Assembly this week. While Mirza asserts that “The Cultural Olympiad has made real progress is the last year… [and] strengthened relationships with the cultural sector”, the panel of Assembly Members were sceptical as to whether the general public knows enough about the Cultural Olympiad and criticised a lack of joined up thinking, making the arts seem “second best”. Tickets for the sporting events of the Olympics will be available from March, whereas the Cultural Olympiad events will not be on sale or advertised until an unspecified date in the summer. Mirza was questioned over the level of promotion to tourists and a lack of advertising for the cultural events taking place in the run-up to and during the Games. She asserted that London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games is working hard to “bring in new audiences for culture”. She also restated the Mayor’s ongoing commitment to culture, saying “At the GLA we have made real efforts to protect front-line services. The Mayor needs to make a stand and set an example.”