Rumours are rife that the UK Department of Culture, Media, Sport and Digital is about to be scrapped in a giovernment efficiency drive.
Few tears will be shed. The DCMS has long been a dumping ground for civil servants who cannot get a job anywhere else in Whitehall.
Likewise its political heads. Under the Tories, the DCMS had five Secretaries of State in as many years. Those who argue that the Department gives the arts a voice in Cabinet have not been paying attention. If the arts had so much as a peep in Cabinet, the post-Brexit touring difficulties would never have arisen.
Let the DCMS shut.
The problem is that Arts Council Engfland has performed even worse, linking arts funding to alien agendas such as diversity, inclusivity, regionalism and education (DIRE) and losing all credibility.
ACE needs to be demolished.
The solution?
Remove the chair, CEO and all artform heads at ACE anbd take a year to revert the organisation to its core purpose – funding the arts.
Once that has been achieved, shut down the DCMS.
Simple, really.
The post Which to abolish first – DCMS or ACE? appeared first on Slippedisc.
