Transcript Bill Macnaught

Bill Macnaught
Chair
Advisory Council on Libraries
Culture
A personal perspective on the
Government’s view of culture
Who is responsible?
• The Department for Culture, Media and
Sport – DCMS
• Secretary of State – Tessa Jowell
What is the DCMS definition of 'culture'?
There is no official government definition of
'culture'. However Guidance on Integrating
Cultural and Community Strategies refers to:
"the widely established two-part definition or
understanding of culture set out in Creating
Opportunities (DCMS, 2000)"
“Culture is seen as having a material
dimension encompassing the following
types of activities - an illustrative,
rather than exhaustive, listing. It
includes…
the performing and visual arts craft
fashion media film, television and video
language museums artefacts archives
design libraries literature, writing and
publishing the built heritage
architecture landscape archaeology
sports events facilities development
parks open spaces wildlife habitats
water environment countryside
recreation children's play playgrounds
play activities tourism festivals
attractions informal leisure pursuits
Culture also has a value dimension and is
about:
•relationships between individuals and
groups
•shared memories, experience and identity
•diverse cultural, faith and historic
backgrounds
•social standards, values and norms
•what we consider valuable to pass on to
future generations."
DCMS – what does it do?
“We aim to improve the quality of life for all
through cultural and sporting activities, to
support the pursuit of excellence and
to champion the tourism, creative and
leisure industries. Our vision is to extend
excellence and improve access in all our
many sectors.”
“It has been said that art is what anyone who
calls themselves an artist produces, and the
definition at least does not suffer from being
exclusive. But when government spends the
nation’s marginal income – taxation – on
“culture” in the sense that I have indicated,
it cannot avoid, whether by delegating the
task to quangos or making direct decisions,
the making of value judgements.”
Tessa Jowell: ‘Government and the Value of
Culture’, May 2004
“When we undertake policies in
Government, the first thing we do
is look at the evidence. We might
engage focus groups or undertake
market research to tell us what the
view of people is. In terms of the
intrinsic value of culture, in the
lives of citizens, I’m not sure we
need it.”
Tessa Jowell, May 2004
“…politicians have enough reasons to
support culture on its own merits to stop
apologising for it by speaking only of it in
terms of other agendas. Yes, we will
need to keep proving that engagement
with culture can improve educational
attainment, and can help reduce crime.
But we should also stand up for what
culture can do for individuals in a way
that nothing else can.”
Tessa Jowell, May 2004
“Culture alone can give people the means
better to understand and engage with life,
and as such is a key part in reducing
inequality of opportunity, and which can
help us slay the sixth giant of modern
times – poverty of aspiration. This must be
the next priority in the mission at the core
of this Government: to transform our
society into a place … where individuals
can fulfil their true potential.”
Tessa Jowell, May 2004
“We need Music Education in schools... We need
the mechanisms in place so that a child with a
talent will be able to take that talent as far as
they wish to go, bounded only by the limits of that
talent, and not constrained by their social and
economic circumstances. … only by accepting that
it is a child’s right to be given the means by which
to engage with culture will we be able to move
forward.
By accepting culture is an important investment in
personal social capital we begin to justify that
investment on culture’s own terms.”
Tessa Jowell, May 2004
‘Government and the Value of Culture’
(a) Is my analysis of the intrinsic value of culture
correct?
(b) Is there any value in saying it? Or should politicians
just keep quiet?
(c) How, in going beyond targets, can we best capture
the value of culture?
(d) Do we underpin targets with something else –
longer term funding agreements underpinned by a
lighter touch but more intelligent review that
focuses on cultural outcomes?
(e) How can we achieve this?
Tessa Jowell, May 2004
Cultural Pathfinders
“Thirteen local authorities have been chosen by the
Government to be Cultural Pathfinders, showing how
culture and sport can help deliver Government priorities
across public life.”
• Show how culture can contribute to other Government
work at local level in the fields of healthy living, community
safety and social cohesion,
• Use culture and sport in new and experimental ways to
help build sustainable communities, and
• Test new and innovative ideas at local level, and share
best practice with other authorities.
DCMS press release Feb 2005
Shared priorities
• Raising standards across our schools
• Improving the quality of life of children,
young people, families at risk and older
people
• Promoting healthier communities by
targeting key local services
• Creating safer and stronger communities
• Transforming our local environment
• Meeting transport needs more effectively
• Promoting the economic vitality of localities
www.culture.gov.uk
Culture led urban regeneration
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Baltic Flour Mills
Gateshead Quays
Started BALTIC in 1992
Gateshead Millennium Bridge 2000
BALTIC opened in 2002
The Sage Gateshead 2004
Private sector developments
£1,000 million investment in total
ExploreMusic
• Free internet access; Sibelius music composition
software; study desks, with power for laptop use
• Access to specialist music websites including Grove
Online; music books, magazines and newspapers
• A comprehensive 'what’s on’ listing of music events,
large and small, across the North East
• Up-to-date information about music courses, tutors,
venues, instrument repair shops and more from
across the region
• Listening posts – providing access to CDs linked to
performances in the concert halls
Gateshead links
www.gateshead.gov.uk
www.asaplive.com/ExploreMusic/Home.cfm
www.thesagegateshead.org
Conclusion
• Still confusion when Government and
others use the word ‘culture’
• Wide ranging definition
• Access and excellence
• Intrinsic and instrumental
• Growing recognition of the value of
culture in local and central government
“Culture is what we do
- not to live –
but to feel alive”
Francois Matarasso