Pieties or Policies?

Pieties or Policies? The future of arts and culture is a month of discussion and debate on the arts this November, hosted by the Institute of Ideas working in partnership with key arts centres and institutions.

Society’s view of the role and purpose of culture is in question. Debates rage about audiences, tradition and excellence. Even creativity is being redefined - what is it, can and indeed should it be taught? Institutions seem unsure of their core functions. Broader debates about democratisation and inclusion expose some to charges of old-fashioned exclusivity. Meanwhile, the government envies the ability of the arts to inspire. Artists and cultural players are courted in the hope that this appeal will rub off. These newly politicised ideas about culture raise passions and inflame tempers, with opinions diverging over the role the arts play in society, high versus low culture and political interference.

Pieties or Policies? The future of arts and culture will investigate the buzzwords and assumptions behind cultural policy and debates on the arts.