Save The Arts Campaign

Hockney, Hirst and Gormley amongst those asking for help

Over a hundred artists including David Hockney, Anthony Caro, Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Anish Kapoor, Richard Hamilton, Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin have added their voices to the campaign to fight against the proposed 25% cuts in government funding of the arts.

Over 12,000 signatures have been gathered on a petition in less than five days and they are asking Chiswick art lovers to join them as David Cameron has promised a Commons debate once 100,000 are achieved.

Add your support by going to Save the arts at:
www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-arts.html

Each week the work of a different artist, created in response to the campaign, will be released.
Supporters of the artists’ campaign are being asked to sign a petition which will be sent to the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. It points out that it has taken 50 years to create a vibrant arts culture in Britain that is the envy of the world and appeals to the government not to slash arts funding and risk destroying this long-term achievement and the social and economic benefits it brings to all.

The artists acknowledge that reasonable cuts and efficiencies are necessary but they fear that the 25% cuts being proposed will destroy much of what has been achieved and will have a particularly damaging impact on national and regional museums and their collections.

The campaign is being organised by the London branch of a national consortium of over 2,000 arts organisations and artists dedicated to working together and finding new ways to support the arts in the UK.

Full petition details on: http://www.savethearts.org.uk

October 15, 2010