The date might not feature prominently in history books, but it certainly deserves a spot. This Tuesday marks the 60th anniversary of a significant milestone: the publication of the UK’s first government white paper on the arts by Jennie Lee, Britain’s inaugural minister for the arts. Spanning a mere 18 pages, this document packed more punch than most lengthy government reports. It was ambitious, outlining a “more coherent, generous, and imaginative approach” to an arts policy Britain desperately needed at the time.
Presently, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy hasn’t yet rolled out her version of such a transformative white paper. It’s something she should consider tackling. However, she didn’t let the occasion pass unacknowledged; just last week, she delivered a compelling anniversary lecture at the Other Place theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, a location steeped in artistic heritage, which added weight to her reflections on arts policy.
Fiscal constraints today mirror those of February 1965, yet Ms. Nandy’s address carried the same resolute tone. “Today’s artists need more financial help,” Ms. Lee had once asserted, promising to increase government grants to the Arts Council despite economic challenges. Echoing this commitment, Ms. Nandy unveiled a £270 million funding initiative aimed at preserving Britain’s “crumbling cultural infrastructure.”
The connections run deeper than financial measures. Both Ms. Lee and Ms. Nandy recognize the pivotal role of the educational system in fostering a passion for the arts and ensuring broader social access. “The place that the arts occupy in the life of the nation is largely a reflection of the time and effort devoted to them in schools and colleges,” Ms. Lee wrote back in 1965. Ms. Nandy shares this view, critiquing the current state by stating, “Culture and creativity have been erased from our classrooms. This is madness.”
Like Ms. Lee, Ms. Nandy champions a comprehensive national strategy for an arts paradigm that’s often too focused around London. As noted in the 1965 white paper, some regions of Britain were devoid of professional art companies, a situation that needed changing. Similarly, Ms. Nandy calls for “reviving culture in places where it is disappearing,” emphasizing the need to elevate cultural opportunities across the board.
These objectives, although challenging, are among the more straightforward tasks within the realm of UK arts policy. In today’s digital and multicultural landscape, however, simply channeling the spirit of Ms. Lee isn’t enough, no matter how commendable her actions were. The mission requires a nuanced approach.
During the wartime era, John Maynard Keynes inspired a cultural movement leading to the formation of the Arts Council in 1944, envisioning the arts as an integral part of everyone’s upbringing. Post-war, the Arts Council strayed from this path, necessitating intervention through Ms. Lee’s white paper to restore the balance.
Today, we face the task of reigniting this vision, albeit in a vastly different world. Britain now grapples with more division, and digital media has transformed the arts landscape. Where once there was a firm belief in a shared national culture, that confidence has waned. Yet, with the arts comprising a significant part of the economy and daily life in 2025, it’s crucial not to fall into past traps that wrongly opposed excellence to accessibility. Both are vital, as Ms. Lee understood, and Ms. Nandy appears ready to champion them in the upcoming spending review. Her success is crucial.
