Why the feel good narrative must end

Diversity in arts participation is often praised, but time and again the overall conclusion (at least as UK data shows) seems to be that the diversity of people engaging in the arts has only changed little over the years despite the wealth of projects and policies to increase cultural participation.

Is there a tendency to overstate impacts through uncritical narratives of success? The authors of this article think so and that this risks undermining the credibility of state subsidies for art and culture. We should not only celebrate the successes but also look at what doesn’t work and learn from it – why the feel good narrative must end (ArtsProfessional).