创意艺术的政府资助

Some people are of the opinion that creative artists should receive support from the government while others believe that they should look for funding elsewhere. In my view, I would say that in many countries, people working in creative arts must accept that they will need to find sponsorship deals in the private sector.

On the one hand, it could be argued that the creative arts have a great deal to offer society. Arts such as music, dance and theatre provide a source of entertainment to many people and contribute greatly to their quality of life. Some would say that this should place the creative arts on an equal footing with all the other public sectors which receive government funding. Arts are also important to society because they provide a means for creativity. A society without creative thinkers is a society that is probably stagnant and certainly not innovative. Many of our technological advances have come from societies in which people were taught and encouraged to think creatively.

That being said, the government has so many other priorities to consider in determining how funds should be allocated. These include key sectors such as national security, health care, education as well as more mundane areas like maintaining basic infrastructure such as public buildings, roads and public transportation systems. Many of these are viewed as absolute necessities, as they have an immediate and considerable impact on the daily lives of all members of society.

Although no one should question the value of the arts in modern society, a government should finance people working in the arts only if funds are available after these other priorities have been covered. As government budgets are usually stretched to the limit, these artists will need to seek alternative sources of financial backing.