Cutting state funding is good for the arts
30 March 2011
Ahead of announcements today on Arts Council cuts, Sam Bowman, Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute, said:
“The government should phase out arts funding altogether. Subsidies distort the market and fund art that nobody wants. Artists that have to appeal to a government body rather than the public for their income will inevitably compromise the quality of the art they produce.
“Great artists like Shakespeare, Dickens and The Beatles have always relied on consumer demand and private patronage to fund their work, and private institutions like the Royal Academy of Arts and Glyndebourne Festival Opera provide fine art without any government funding. If people want something, they should be prepared to pay for it.”
To arrange an interview with Sam Bowman, please contact Sally Thompson, Communications Director, on 07584 778 207, sally@adamsmith.org