London Bid for Creative Venue of the World

12/02/2008

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is to release a Green Paper next week that is believed to contain plans to give the UK’s creative industry a massive boost.

A range of government commitments to the arts includes a permanent home for fashion shows in London, a £200 million national film centre on the South Bank and an annual arts conference in true ‘Davos’ style.

Over 20 separate schemes have been drawn up by the department, with the aim of turning the UK into the world’s creative hub.

The Government is eager to demonstrate its support for Britain’s creative talent, to encompass film to fashion and computer games to cartoons. This comes only a month after swingeing cuts in grants to many theatres and other cultural organisations nationwide by the Arts Council.

Threats to the existence of important arts venues have been finally acknowledged by the government. The Hammersmith Palais is one example – it was closed last year to be redeveloped as a business office complex. London’s famous Astoria is another – about to be bulldozed by Crossrail. “They are crucial in the development of talent and infrastructure of the live music circuit. They are culturally, socially and economically crucial.”