Introducing the Mace Arts and Heritage Index

Lucy Kenningham | 11th June 2021 | Westminster Index

Mace’s latest index is the first act in our deep dive into the UK’s mighty creative industries sector. We’ve toured museums, galleries and theatres and profile the people performing with the most political influence in Westminster today.

The legend goes like this: in the midst of World War Two, when Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding to increase the budget for the war effort, he replied with a simple question: “then what are we fighting for?” Although this quote is pure fabrication, the belief that arts and cultural institutions are the lifeblood of our nation is embedded in British society and government. Funding for the arts first formalised in 1940 with the establishment of the Committee for the Encouragement of Music and Arts (CEMA), chaired by John Maynard Keynes from 1941. CEMA which later morphed into the Arts Council. The disaster brought about by Covid has increased the urgency with which cultural institutions are battling for further funding and investment. The professionals who make up our list of leaders in the industry are not only experienced creatives, curators and passionate advocates, but also crucially possess the political clout to secure support. This is reflected in the number of ex-po...

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