According to the UK Green Party website the Green Party will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:

CMS400 For the purposes of this chapter ‘culture’ means all forms of artistic expression, including entertainment, such as film, drama, dance, painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, architecture, design music and similar activities. It also includes the historical record of such activities.

CMS401 Culture is essential to human fulfilment. As a human need, it enhances the economy both directly and indirectly: where people are more fulfilled they are likely to contribute more to their work and to society. In a ‘Green’ society people of all ages and backgrounds would have access to participate in and enjoy all types of arts and cultural activities.

CMS402 The Green Party recognises that the ‘creative’ industries sector is growing significantly in the UK, and as we move towards a sustainable society we anticipate an increased role for artists and craftspeople.

CMS403 Arts and culture in the UK is currently structured and funded in a way that gives the ‘bigger’ players dominance over smaller community organisations and individual artists. A healthy and vibrant society does not see a necessary competition between creativity and purely financial business concerns. Indeed much commercial entertainment marries the two effectively. This needs to happen on the small scale and through community-based activities as well as the large and more commercial scale. Our aim is to rebalance the relationship between cultural superstars and ordinary people. The present imbalance amounts to a virtual deification of celebrity superstars, which mirrors the economic divergence between rich and poor.

CMS410 We value artistic expression for its openness, diversity, imagination and importance in education. We do not measure artistic value in economic terms. We believe that the state has an important role to play in supporting artistic activity in society.

CMS411 Arts and creativity play a fundamental role in education. All education should be as creative as possible, both to enhance enjoyment and to achieve greater success.

CMS412. Financial support does not entail a right to intervene in other people’s self-expression. Arts policy-making, where it is needed, should be organisational in nature and empowering in character.

CMS413 Artistic activity has an important role to play in the sustenance of a society’s culture. We believe that the UK produces some of the finest professional theatre, film, comedy and music in the world and that home grown entertainment industries need to be recognised for the value they add to society. If we want to maintain cultural diversity in the 21st century these industries, at national and local level, on large and small scale, need to be protected and promoted in the face of the homogenising influence of a dominating global artistic culture.

CMS414 The body of historical creative work forms the basis of our culture at national, regional and local level; the preservation of this culture is a responsibility of the state through support for cultural stores such as museums, archives, libraries, heritage and major performing arts venues and companies.

Arts and Culture Objectives

CMS420 To enable people to participate both by extending opportunities to enjoy and participate in the arts and by providing support for non-commercial artistic organisations.

CMS421 To develop more relevant structures of support for the arts, building on the work of the Arts Council and ensuring that vibrant regional and local arts cultures can thrive.

CMS422 To promote our shared cultural heritage.

Short to mid term Arts and Culture Policies

CMS430 To encourage the growth of local arts associations made up of practising artists.

CMS431 To require the representation of local arts associations, where they exist, rather than local government, on regional arts boards.

CMS432 To ensure levels of financial support for buildings housing cultural collections are such as to render admission charges unnecessary.

CMS433 To modify the licensing regulations to ensure that small scale live performance in pubs, clubs and similar venues is not stifled.

CMS434 To zero-rate live performance for VAT purposes.

Long term Arts and Culture policies

CMS440 To shift responsibility for arts funding, where appropriate, from regional to local levels.

CMS441 To develop more autonomous and less dependent forms of financial support for the arts.

CMS442 We will explore the feasibility of a tax on superstar performances which is hypothecated to local cultural enterprises.

Culture and Commerce

CMS450 Sponsorship of the Arts: There may be a role for commercial sponsorship of any cultural activity. This should not be used to reduce the total state support for the Arts, but rather to allow state funding to be redeployed elsewhere.

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on UK Green Party’s Arts and Culture policies in the comments below?