Martin Dobson is the Green Party Spokesperson for Culture Media and Sports. He works as a multi-media designer and musician in Liverpool and tomorrow join Culture Minister Ed Vaizey, Shadow Culture Minister Harriet Harman, and Ukip’s Culture spokesperson Peter Whittle, in a debate chaired by arts and current affairs journalist Rosie Whittle.
The Big Arts Debate is one of the closing events in the six-week Vault Festival. This year’s event threatens to be London’s biggest mixed arts festival and takes place underground, in a series of spaces beneath Waterloo station. In an era marked by economic insecurity, nationalist banner waving, and protest The Big Art Debate promises to be a ground shaking session.
Green Party candidate Martin Dobson said
“ The Green Party view the arts as a vital part of life. They are a sound investment reaping dividends in wellbeing and quality of life, aside from being a multi billion pound earner. In 2012 over 70 billion pounds worth of income per anum resulted from the UK’s creative sector. We will argue that support for the arts could be funded by the tax receipts raised from the significant earnings our creative industries produce. ”
Liverpool is no stranger to the economic benefits of culture as a driver of regeneration. The meteoric rise of the city since it’s year as Capital of Culture in 2008 has helped turn it in to one of the top global visitor destinations.
Bryan Biggs Artistic Director at Liverpool’s Bluecoat Gallery said
“As Liverpool has demonstrated forcefully since 2008 the arts are not just ‘good for business’ as a significant contributor to the local economy, in improving the city’s image and making it a better place to live. Beyond the arts representing value for money, their intrinsic value is immeasurable, their impact profound. What we continually witness here is the capacity for art, across the spectrum from visual to performing to literary, to change people’s lives, whether its by being immersed in a gallery exhibition or discovering an unknown talent during a writing workshop”