Today (Monday 19 July) has seen the launch of the Big Society with Eden one of four piloted areas. How arts and culture fit in has yet to be seen but as Sir Andrew Motion said today: “If the Big Society means we aspire to create more civilised places where humanity prevails, and the individual spirit thrives, then artistic and cultural activity is not just indispensible, it must sit at the core, and national and local government must work together in one cause,”

Against the backdrop of the call from national arts leaders for the government to recognise the damage overly severe cuts in arts funding could do, Sir Andrew, Chair of the MLA, said that pressure on local council budgets was probably an even greater threat to the country’s cultural and artistic life.

“Government is asking – which public services are essential and how we can aspire to a bigger society? Cultural engagement is essential to humanity and civilisation and we all have a responsibility to ensure it thrives.” See the full article from the MLA here http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press_releases/2010/local_culture_cuts

the Guardian and BBC reports on the Big society launch are here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jul/18/four-authorities-experiment-big-society and here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10680062

For further information and debate on the current Eden link see here http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/richardmoss/2010/07/big_society_or_big_con_why_cum.html