At the height of the pandemic, it was estimated that between 95 and 97 per cent of the world’s museums were shut. Now, as countries are beginning to loosen restrictions, establishments are reopening.
Yet in his latest opinion piece for The Telegraph, Classical Music Critic, Ivan Hewett asks why the UK’s response to the needs of the cultural sphere has been so lacklustre.
Hewett begins, by referring to the fact there has “been a great deal of lip service from the Government about task forces and plans, this is of little apparent use without hard cash.” While not mentioning the specific actions of the culture minister by name, Hewett instead applauds the work of those like the German culture minister, who described the arts as “lebensmittel”, meaning “that which sustains life”. According to Hewett, the pandemic has served to prove that the UK simply does not value culture as much as its European brothers and sisters.
France, for example, has created a rescue package for 100,000 freelance artists, Italy has met the salaries of 15 “theatres of the tradition” until the end of 2021. The UK has created a taskforce.
According to Hewett: “Everywhere you look in Europe – and beyond – you find a determination to bring the arts back to life”, except, it would seem that the UK are playing according to very different rules, similar to those seen in America.
Hewett concludes that, in Europe the response needed to preserve the cultural sphere exists because "people actually believe the fine words uttered about the arts and culture being essential for the good of the soul and society.”
