The Government has published The Culture White Paper today. This is the first culture white paper to be published in 50 years and only the second ever published. The paper outlines the Government’s vision for culture, arts and heritage over the coming years.

It makes a number of proposals including measures to increase participation in culture and highlights the crucial contribution that culture makes to the health and wellbeing of people living in our communities.

Our response

Andrew Barnett, Director of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) says:

“The white paper is a valuable starting point for supporting the sector to continue to grow and increase its positive reach and impact on society. We welcome the focus on widening engagement for children and young people in the arts. We should not forget the massive potential for participation in the arts by vulnerable and underserved adults to transform lives and build more cohesive communities, together with the potential for the arts to help all of us be more involved and engaged in our communities.

That’s why we will shortly be launching an inquiry into the civic role of arts organisations, to maximise the untapped potential in arts organisations to achieve positive social change.”

Read The Culture White paper in full.

Photo: The Agency aims to empower young people to affect positive change in their communities. Osmond Gordon-Vernon (centre) based his game ‘Life is What U Make It’ on his experiences growing up on Winstanley estate. Credit: Rob Logan, Battersea Arts Centre.