Sunday 3 April 2011

A smaller big society

A few days ago I was telling you how Mike Harding's audience viewed the big society. This week the Arts Council announced cuts in funding to many organisations including Ludus Dance based in Lancaster. The cuts are significant and it is difficult to see how this group could survive but they do have a year or so before the cuts really begin to be felt. This was the main headline in our local paper on Friday 1st April but it was no joke. However there was good news for "More Music in Morecambe". I have attended their guitar classes and although this is only one small aspect of their work in the community, I think they do a very good job in a deprived area of Lancashire.

So there are some winners but with overall cuts of 30% it is not difficult to work out that most beneficiaries will be losers. If we are to have a big society we must have the means to organise groups to work together and uphold the notion of society and see people work together not because they are employed but because they wish to participate in a better community. The arts must play a part in that big society but it just got a little smaller this week.

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