"Culture in the UK helps to define and shape and deepen our lives as individuals. It also makes a significant contribution to our nation's prosperity. If this significant part of our economy is to prosper and grow, we must recognise the role of our cultural leaders in delivering that success and ensure the emergence of a talented and diverse group of future leaders".
Not my words, oh no, but those of Prime-Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown, who is throwing £12 million at a scheme aiming to promote "excellence in management and leadership" in the cultural sector. It's a fantastic scheme. Well, it will be for the 2000 cultural types who get a cut of the cash. Or more to the point, for which ever shady outfit gets to run the £6000 a head training programme said cultural types are set to receive at the tax payer's expense. Am I sounding a bit cynical here? I'm sorry, it's probably the weather.
Anyway, launching the scheme, which was originally revealed in the last Budget, the government's chief culture monkey, Tessa Jowell, said yesterday: "In economic terms, the cultural sectors account for over 5 per cent of the nation's gross domestic product, and for the last decade the sector has grown at twice the rate of the economy as a whole. We need to enlist leaders from a wide range of backgrounds to reflect the diversity that has made Britain a cultural powerhouse".
Recently CBE-ed EMI chief Eric Nicoli also threw his backing behind the scheme, telling reporters: "Music is an important constituent of the creative sector and the UK music industry is dynamic, vibrant and flourishing. Britons buy more music per capita than in any other country in the world and the UK is second only to the US as a source of international repertoire. We do, however, face more challenges than ever before. Just as we invest heavily in technology, infrastructure and developing our artists and their music, it's also vital that we invest in our people".