Toward a new contract for arts and culture: join the debate

25 Feb 2015 11:43 AM

With a general election and a new Government only a few months away, might this period of change present an opportunity for the arts and culture sector to come together to form a new contract for arts and culture?

The Royal Society of Arts (RSA), supported by the Arts Council, is exploring this question, and has begun to develop a draft contract that sets out a set of ‘asks’ and offers’ to Government. 

“For many years I have tried to encourage a more grown up and rigorous conversation about arts and cultural policy. It’s not that there hasn’t been good work in this area, valuable research, important policy initiatives, passionate debates but yet, added together, it hasn’t added up to a discourse worthy of the importance of arts and creativity to our nation and our lives” – writes Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the RSA in a new blog post.

The RSA now want to work with What Next?, the British CouncilCreative Industries Federation and The Warwick Commission and the wider arts and cultural sector to explore the feasibility of these ideas and this approach. 

Have your say: a live streamed #culturalcontract debate

On Wednesday 11 March, the RSA will invite key stakeholders to explore, interrogate and debate the proposed contract, with participants from across the cultural sector, health, education, local government and the creative industries.

Proposals will address diversity, funding, education, talent & skills development, local and national cultural strategy, and leadership. The event will bring together a sector-wide conversation and its purpose is to crystallise shared ambitions.

We want to know what you think.  You can join the debate by watching the live stream – further details of which will be shared closer to the time. You can also add your thoughts to the discussion at #culturalcontract now.

Read Matthew Taylor's full blog post here.

Create: perspectives on the value of arts and culture

Find out more about Create, our digital journal talking about the value of arts and culture to society, with contributors from Tanya Gold to John Major.

Make the case: our Advocacy Toolkit

Watch our new film and discover how you can make the case for public investment in arts and culture with our Advocacy Toolkit: