Tomorrow (19 June) will see Shadow Culture Secretary Harriet Harman lead the first major debate in the House of Commons on the arts and creative industries in over five years. It follows an Early Day Motion that has been signed by nearly 60 MPs.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller will be speaking for the Government, with Dan Jarvis, Shadow Minister for Culture, closing. The debate will last for three and a half hours, and is likely to get underway at around 1.30pm, following a statement on the G8 summit after Prime Minister’s Questions.
The Early Day Motion calls on the Government ‘to take forward a strategy for the arts and creative industries that includes putting art and creativity at the heart of the curriculum, ensuring the creative industries have access to finance, including opening up innovative new funding models such as crowdfunding, protecting intellectual property, balanced with the needs of consumers supporting the arts and creative industries in all regions of the country, not just London.’
Harman said: “The arts are central to the lives of individuals and communities across the country, to their sense of identity and sense of place and to their ability to achieve their human potential. And they are crucial to the national and to local economies.”
She added that continued public funding of the arts is essential. “The successes we now celebrate in the arts are the result of many years of public support, through funding and public policy,” she said. “But this Government is threatening the future of our arts and creative industries through slashing the Arts Council, crushing the ability of local government to support culture locally and side-lining creative education.”
There are various ways for you to follow the debate. You can attend in person at the House of Commons by queuing at the Cromwell Green public entrance. Although there is no guarantee of places in the public gallery, visitors are advised to start queuing from around 1pm.
Alternatively, you can watch the debate live online on the Parliament TV website and join the discussion on Twitter using the tag #artsdebate – a-n will be tweeting live from the debate.
Look out for a-n’s news report on the debate later this week
