I don’t mean to be disrespectful to Scotland but I notice the BBC states as a matter of fact that “The Edinburgh International Festival is a pinnacle of global culture.” Is this true? Really? BBC then goes on to point out that this “pinnacle of global culture” may be under threat because of the evil Coalition cuts. Say it ain’t so and only put one point of view.
GLOBAL CULTURE UNDER TORY ATTACK!
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BBC subtext: more subsidies for Edinburgh festival, Arts Council, BBC; down with thrifty governments!
Yes, as if there aren’t lots of important festivals in all sorts of places and countries. A bit of silly BBC hyperbole, as a prelude to getting down to the serious business of cuts, natch.
The Edinburgh festival just looks like a bunch of drugged up unemployed students pratting around.
http://www.eif.co.uk
”General information on this festival of classical music, opera, theatre and dance”
i think the dance is YMCA by the village ppl
Why should such a popular event need any subsidy? It’s in my back yard and I don’t see why I should give it a penny if I don’t want to see it.
Incidentally, not having heard the article, was any mention made of the climate camp about to descend on Edinburgh? I can’t believe the BBC will pass that one up.
Subject it to market forces or cut the ever loving shit out of it. We’re in recession. We can’t afford to subsidise this sort of faggotry. If it’s popular enough, it’ll survive. If not it’ll die. Rule of the jungle, baby. The BBC can have the same treatment.
Next.
A pinnacle of Leftist, sophomoric political humor in the English language, possibly.
How much does the festival receive in UK Government subsidies bearing in mind Devolution? The Scottish Parliament may have legitimate reasons to subsidise it – Edinburgh is in Scotland.
Has the anyone specifically mentioned cutting the ‘existing’ subsidies or is this a prediction based on the undeniable fact that art extravaganzas are usually targets of cuts in times of recession?
If the festival is so popular then why on earth do they need state funding?
The festival attracts many great performers and a great many new starters wishing to try their luck, state lagesse which will be spent on a few insiders in the arts world is not and never has been the answer.
The state funding gravytrain for the arts has been hijacked by a minority who syphon it off to create a false and artificial market for themselves, they are in effect buying themselves a safe sinecure funded by the taxpayer and it leads to slap dash and inferior quality when money is the motivator.
Talent and the love of performing arts does not need millions in artificial subsidies, it leads to stagnation and stratification where the minority who enjoy the financing always control the direction of arts evolution.
When big money moves in it always degrades and spoils the seeds of real cutting edge arts, the money is in fact a killer of genuine evolutionary arts exploration, the money always goes to those least desrving anyway and that is a waste, a tragic waste.
I used to love the fringe at its wild and poverty stricken but wholy free best, the soviet style corruption of the arts festival my means of money is a real tragedy for the real talent that lays waiting to be discovered.
“The Arts” in Britain have become the province of the liberal left world view. Especially the performing arts.
However it is a close call with mass entertainment plumbing new depths of moronity every year.
Let them have some money but not very much seems to be the only answer.
dave s: Let them have some money but not very much seems to be the only answer.
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We could apply that principle to the BBC as well!
DV, sometimes even the BBC gets things right!
The Edinburgh International Festival is a hugely prestigious festival of music, drama and other “high culture” activities. It receives a public subsidy.
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the festival with the talentless stand-up wannabes and the productions of Hamlet set in Guantanamo performed by “radical” “theatre” “groups” from universities one has vaguely heard of. It doesn’t get a subsidy, but acts as a free audition for the BBC’s “talent” spotters.