BY Sam Thorne in Reviews | 09 SEP 10

Shrigley Says

David Shrigley has produced an animation, titled ‘An Important Message About the Arts’, as part of an artist-backed campaign opposing proposed 23 percent cuts to arts institutions in the UK:

To support the campaign, please sign this petition, which is aimed at the Secretary of State for Culture, Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

More information:

‘Radical cuts to current levels of arts funding will decimate what has been one of the UK’s chief success stories over the past 20 years, and will bring an end to the UK’s reign as a global capital for culture.

Arts organisations all accept the need to reduce their budgets. But while the arts can possibly sustain a ten percent funding cut, the 25-30% cuts that the government is currently considering would result in the closure of many smaller arts organizations and would also have a crippling effect on the functioning of the country’s leading arts venues.

The arts are a major employer, and they generate far more revenue than they cost to fund. In addition they are a major attraction for tourism in the UK. While cutting arts funding may save money in the short term, in the long run it risks undermining what has been one of the country’s most vibrant areas of growth over the past fifteen years, and destroying one of the national achievements that we should be most proud of.’

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BY Sam Thorne in Reviews | 09 SEP 10

Sam Thorne is the director general and CEO of Japan House London.

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