culture and arts funding

Should culture and the arts be funded if they are not profitable? Find examples of arts and culture to demonstrate your case.
Paper instructions:
3. Should culture and the arts be funded if they are not profitable? Find examples of arts and culture to demonstrate your case.

Identify the attendant implications of the question
– Set the parameter of your essay – what is this essay about? Uncover the hidden implications / attendant implications of the question

– Provide definition of culture – academic – in text citation
– The question assumes / presumes/ presupposes that arts and culture should be funded/ supported even if there are no economic benefits to be accrued; gained / not commercially viable.
– The question clearly suggests that there are other valuable reasons for supporting arts and culture, other than the commercial motivations, which is a reference to the cultural industries perspective. Essentially, creative industries takes the view that ……. This is not to say that creative industries argument has no basis/ merit
– Reasons for culture / cultural arguments/ intrinsic values of arts and culture are just as important, if not more, in persuading relevant authorities to fund such projects.
– In the course of the discussion, perspectives of arts and culture will explored as well as key definitions integral to the understanding of the topic – which essentially requires an intimate understanding of the term, ‘creative industries’
– Government’s funding reflects govt’s priority towards arts/ culture
– However, one essential factor to note is that the approach towards funding arts and culture is never static, constantly changing; subject as they are to / as in response to various factors, which include the political motivations/ agenda/ motives
– In the 60s, 70s – Singapore attitudes towards arts and culture – refer to Terence’s article

At the onset, it is important that the concept of arts and culture be clearly defined.
In general, culture can be defined as anything from sports, food, etc…………
– creative industries approach towards persevering arts and culture valuable but not sufficient a reason / motivation –
merits of creative industries approach – boost economy, provide job / employment etc.
– in Singapore – initiated by Goh Chok Tong – his Renaissance City concept explain with evidence the flaws of this arguments/ the shortcomings – article preserving heritage buildings but not the spirit. / turning heritage sites into commercial outlets – what are the implications of this….
the arguments about preservation – heritage – old buildings- quote a statement from NHB, Preservation / Monuments Boards
without any shadow of doubt, the merits of preservation/ cultural argument – refer to NHB”s mission state – claim to be ‘the custodian’ As the custodian of Singapore’s heritage, the NHB is responsible for telling the Singapore story, sharing the Singaporean experience and imparting our Singapore spirit. –
– setting up the Taman Jurong Community museum, WE Define stories exhibition – seems to suggest a kind of power shift
– the People Collection exhibition – dispelling the myth that museum / culture is something elitist, beyond the reach of the masses….
– however, who decides what to preserve, how the narrative of the culture / heritage to be told – question the selection procedure of the panel who sits on the board of management – how representative are they of the community, society?
– Issue of funding – the amount of funding reflects the level of state’s support of arts and culture
– Don’t just limit your discussion to the advantages of arts and culture. Argument be furthered by questioning the issue of funding – should the government or the relevant organisation involved in funding be dictating the terms ? what level of interference is allowed? Or should there be any interference at all?
– Government or corporate institutions
– Funding from organisation – tend to support works that have ‘commercial appeal’ – measuring popularity with commercial appeal – what about ‘artistic quality’ of arts/ culture – how can one measure ‘excellence’ in the area of arts and culture?
– what would be implications on community arts with very limited audience. – some would argue that it would lead to ‘commoditisation of culture’
– Tracey eimin – my bed… bought by Saatchi and Saatchi

– Funding from government – arms length principle – setting up relevant agencies – NAC, MDA – to ensure gaps between the recipient and the organisation who funding the project – such system is not always smooth in its implementation – eg. Wildrice – using public money/ tax payers’ money for projects that support values and lifestyles that are in sync / tandem with the cultural values/ norms / mores of Singapore – is the government justified in cutting the funding? Is the considered interference? Justified?

– Arts should be funded even if no economic benefits but the central theme is who should be responsible in funding? And how should funding distributed to ensure fairness, equity in distribution of funds? Whose responsibility? And how are these people selected?
– Panel review system – how effective has this been? The government can only do so much. Is it justifiable to spend tax payers’ money on cultural projects that do not bring in the monetary benefits? How then can the museum be assured of its survival? Bring in corporate funding – quote Dr Kwa Chong Guan Relevant Clippings “MHC”
– The peer review system – how representative? How were these people selected
– The NHB controversy over the Peranakan silver ware highlighted the complexity/ difficulty in attaching the meaning/ concept of ‘excellence’ in measuring arts and culture
– NHB valuation process was questioned and the Peranakan Museum
– Don’t play , play – highlights the issue of arms length – govt’s interfenerence is seen as a contravention of the arms length argument
– What would be impact of heavy reliance on commercial enterprise ? – content would be compromised
–
The essay will / attempts to examine the

– Attendant implications of the question – the creative industries is the only acceptable / sensible approach towards arts and culture
– Commercial success is often equated with ‘popularity’ – defined by the lowest common denominator
– Jack neo’s works
– Is this approach enough/ sufficient to create a ‘vibrant’ society envisioned by MCCY
– A society without arts and culture – what would it be like?
– What should be the purpose of arts and culture – from the individual, from the perspective of society at large
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET AN AMAZING DISCOUNT 🙂