Democratic Culture, Opening up the arts to everyone by John Holden

This  Demos report looks at what ‘culture’ means today, and challenges audiences, critics and cultural professionals to change their attitudes in order to allow greater access and participation.

We can all now make YouTube videos and buy musical instruments, but this upsurge in ‘homemade’ culture should not blind us to the fact that access to publicly funded culture is still very limited, with only 4 per cent of the population enjoying the arts regularly.  There is a thin line between defending quality and erecting barricades against outsiders, and it is not always clear where that line is. Sometimes ‘maintaining standards’ just means preserving status.