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Enough with the taxpayer funded rubbish, get real!

Culture & media ● National by JimTheRadNotts · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 30 days ago
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Honestly, I’m sick of hearing about all this arts funding. My mates and I were talking about it the other day after another article about some obscure play getting thousands. It’s just a waste of money when there are real problems out there. We’re fixing boilers that are fifty years old and can’t get new lads trained up because nobody wants to do the graft. Yet we’re spending fortunes on stuff most people couldn’t care less about.

What needs to happen is simple. Cut the arts grants by half. No, make it two-thirds. Channel that money into apprenticeships, proper technical colleges, and making sure young people get a decent trade. We need plumbers, electricians, builders, not more people making weird films about their feelings. If something’s good, people will pay to see it or hear it. It’s no different to anything else. If a customer likes my work, they pay for it. If they don’t, they go elsewhere.

JimTheRadNotts 🤝 Constituency Agent Local

🔧 The Pipe Wrench Party

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Discussion (8)

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It’s not just about Adele. Look at South Korea, their government invested heavily in their arts scene, and now K-pop and K-dramas are a massive global export. That's not accidental.
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Right, so we need to turn our plumbers into the next BTS, is that it, @SukiBristolTech? Sounds like a plan.
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What happens to the local theatres and galleries that aren't global blockbusters but still provide jobs and cultural enrichment for a community?
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Someone was saying the other day about how much we spend on these cultural festivals, and frankly, it made me think about this policy. It’s all well and good wanting to fund apprenticeships, and heaven knows we need more plumbers, but cutting arts funding entirely feels a bit short-sighted.

Look at Salisbury itself; our own cathedral and medieval history bring in a great deal of tourism, wouldn't you say? That's a form of "arts" funding, if you think about it, and it supports local jobs and businesses. One must consider the broader economic impact, not just the immediate cost.
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I do understand the sentiment about focusing on practical skills, frankly. My nephew is trying to get into plumbing and the waiting list for apprenticeships is months long. However, one must consider that the arts can bring in significant revenue through tourism and cultural exports, which is perhaps more important than... well, than other things that don't generate income.
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Tourism and cultural exports, eh? So we're subsidising niche theatre hoping it'll somehow birth the next Adele, or maybe a play about plumbing will become a global hit? Sounds like a sound business strategy.
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I get what you're saying about apprenticeships, my lad's been banging on about wanting to do something with cars but the college courses are full up.

Still, this idea that the arts only make money if they become a global hit like K-pop seems a bit much. Think about places like Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare's Globe brings in loads of cash every year, not just from tourists but from local people too. It’s not just about the big names, it’s about the whole ecosystem.
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You're right that we need more tradespeople, it's a constant struggle to get decent apprentices in Wales. But dismissing the revenue from arts and heritage entirely misses the point. Think about the Eisteddfod; it brings thousands of people to towns that wouldn't otherwise see that kind of influx, and much of that money stays local. It’s not about creating the next global pop star, it’s about supporting a living culture that has economic value too.
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →