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National Arts Bodies Condemn Absence of Arts and Culture in Draft National Policy Planning Framework
The Lord Bishop of Liverpool writes for ePolitix.com ahead of his debate on the budget for cultural services
One of the fears, especially felt by people in the arts, is that with the economic downturn there will be huge pressure on politicians of all parties to either reduce or cut altogether the budgets for cultural services. For many this will seem like an easy hit, not least because they feel that there is little economic return for such investment.
I hope very much in the debate today the case will be cogently made by people of all parties that this would be a false economy.
I shall be drawing attention to the research commissioned by Liverpool City Council which was carried out jointly by the universities of Liverpool and John Moores.
It was published last Friday and demonstrates incontrovertibly the huge economic, social and health impacts of Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture.
In particular I shall be citing research done by mental health services on Merseyside showing the positive impact that cultural engagement has had on the mood and wellbeing of patients.
Also, in my capacity as Bishop for Prisons, I will be speaking about the importance of developing the imagination. Sometimes criminal acts are a failure of the imagination, an inability to place yourself in the shoes of another person.
In the rehabilitation and education programmes in prison, offenders are enabled to understand the impact that their actions have had on others. It is engagement with the arts that enables the imagination to develop.
Developing the imagination is crucial to creating a caring society.
If we lose our cultural services, then I fear that we will lose more than we realise.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd