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London mayor reveals key arts priorities

Published Tuesday 25 November 2008 at 15:50 by Alistair Smith

London mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled his outline strategy for culture in the capital until 2012, claiming the creative industries can be used to re-start London’s flagging economy.

Johnson revealed his key arts priorities over the next three years, which include better provision in the outer boroughs, a drive to improve music education and a bid to cut red tape and support grass roots organisations.

The mayor was speaking ahead of the first meeting of the Greater London Authority’s Culture Strategy Group, which features leading figures from the arts world, such as Southbank Centre chief executive Michael Lynch, Barbican Centre managing director Nicholas Kenyon and Bill Morris, director of culture, ceremonies and education for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. It will advise Johnson on arts matters and help develop his full cultural strategy which will be revealed next year.

“These are pretty dark economic days,” said Johnson. “Obviously, there are things we can to do to help the London economy. The arts and culture sector contributes 12% of employment and is a major reason why so many millions of people come to London.

“Be in no doubt they can be at the forefront of leading the economic recovery of the city. I intend to make that point unashamedly in a brutal, New Labour, utilitarian fashion.”

He added that as well as stimulating the economy, he was keen to use the arts for social regeneration, but stressed “the most important reason for supporting the arts is that they are an end in themselves”.

Published this week, Cultural Metropolis - The Mayor’s Priorities for Culture 2009-2012, also revealed plans for The Story of London, a cultural celebration of the capital which will take place in June 2009.

Johnson described the document as “not elitist, but anti-dumbing down”. He added: “You shouldn’t be endlessly trying to patronise young people by giving them the art and culture you think they can absorb. Actually, perhaps, we should be more ambitious and we should be putting emphasis on learning music in the old way and not simply sitting endlessly in front of a computer doing hip hop.”

The report also unveiled a new £1.4 million London Development Agency fund offering grants of up to £50,000 for cultural organisations looking to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the Olympics in 2012.

Johnson stressed that he believed that the Olympics represented an “amazing” opportunity to “lasso a great beast and use it to drive forward the promotion of art and culture”.

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