So McMaster lasted a month. Those of you who take an interest in these things will recall that Sir Brian McMaster presented a report to the Government last month which argued that excellence should once again be the main criterion by which we judge the value of supporting the arts. The report was hailed as a much-needed corection to ten years of New Labour instrumentalism, whereby the arts were seen as mechanism for social engineering.
Just as you have exhaled your sigh of relief, the Government has
rowed back. Margaret Hodge, the Culture Minister, has said that the
Proms (which she revealingly describes as a "sector") do not bring
together an audience that represents modern Britain, and as such do not
play a proper role in forging a common British identity.
She is wrong, completely wrong.
The Proms are much more than simply the Last Night (though personally I have no problem with the eccentric traditionalism of the last night). They are probably the largest, most wide-ranging and democratic classical music festival in the world. Did I say classical music? Well, they also include jazz, and youth music. On the McMaster principle - excellence is defined by him as a life changing experience - they more than succeed. Any one who was present to watch Gustavo Dudamel conduct the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra from Venezuela last year would attest to that.
What is La Hodge on about? Her speech appears utterly contradictory. She criticises the Proms, presumably for putting excellence before inclusion.
Then she attacks politicians for trying to be all things to all people, and forgetting their core values. Make your mind up. The truth is that New Labour cannot stop thinking about every aspect of our lives as somehow being a lever with which to shoehorn us into cosy conformity.
The Proms are not for every one - although they are for a lot of people. So what?
The real answer to the problem of diversity is not to dilute the Proms but to support more and diverse art forms from different communities, as well as the Proms.
