Was Will Gompertz right when he said the arts had been subsidised to 'no great effect'?

a report on the BBC Radio 4 Today program said mantra Arts Council England's "great art for everyone" was inaccessible. Is this view too dark

my Twitter feed this morning was very angry, very angry. My colleague Will Gompertz, the BBC's creative director, was at the show today to talk about funding the arts. Although the Arts Council of England's efforts since its creation after the war, he said, funding for the arts was "apparently without much success." In 8% of the population, he said, go to the ballet, opera or classical music, according to government figures. It was subsidized arts, welcomed the report, in fact only supports the tastes of middle and upper classes? You institutions such as the Royal Ballet and Royal Opera failed to draw, but few?

• think - with all due respect and board hat nice, as always, Will - the image presented here was very sad and incomplete. Hence the irritation of my Twitter friends. The implication (but perhaps not the intention) of the piece was to suggest that classical music, opera and ballet "acted as" all the arts. It is, of course, a partial picture . You lose entire sectors of cultural activity. theater, galleries, museums. street theater, carnivals, festivals ... whole swathes of things with the support of public funds. Not to mention the incredible work done in community arts organizations, or companies like Streetwise Opera Clean Break and work with a very social end in sight.
• The report was perhaps too much work rather incomplete at the Royal Opera House. Not for a moment think that his audience on an average night presents a true picture of British society, or that it is a forbidden place in many ways, or no work to do, but you must pay £ 115 to see the ballet, my two seconds, click around randomly tickets site vomited four pounds for a special evening to celebrate the ballet in February (you have to break 'em up in advance) - a sum that had difficulty finding theater tickets in London. ROH gives representations of the family (tickets £ 5 - £ 20). Opportunity to dance is a system that works with schools in Lambeth, Southwark and Thurrock to encourage children - not children of the privileged - access and enjoy ballet. But enough about the Royal Opera House. ROH is not an art in England. It is an art organization in England and should not dominate discussions on funding (I know I do ...).
• "Great art for everyone" - a simplistic slogan Arts Council England, maybe., But I'm not sure anyone should apologize about aspiration. Thanks our schools, through the extraordinary range by arts organizations, through the committed work of artists and teachers do not see why everyone (and this is important for all children) should not be with big art. God knows enough people are doing all they can to get there. And indeed, I think it works.

BBC

Will Gompertz

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