Why Arts Funding Needs The Viagra Approach

Tara Sparling writes

There’s a lot of talk in Ireland at the moment about state support for the arts, or lack of. This is because we’ve had a bloom of homely politicians taking photo opportunities with various literary prize-winners, Oscar nominees and theatrical trailblazers, whilst simultaneously, members of both current and past governments have been systematically reducing arts funding to almost every sector (except historical anniversary celebrations).

For most people, investment in the arts comes somewhere lower in the hierarchy of needs than botox injections. It’s nice to have them, says the taxpayer. Indeed, we probably look better when we have them. But do we really need them, when hospitals resemble mental institutions in 1873, and small children can’t get a school place?

Yet much like other political and public discourse, it all depends on where you’re starting from. And as the fella says, I wouldn’t start from there.