EU wastes millions on questionable culture programme

[CookieMonster]

The European Commission is to spend £366 million through its 2010 culture programme on arts events to promote wind instruments, 'hip hop' dance and circus skills. £180,000 has been earmarked for a 'Wind Art Festival' to address the "need to increase audience for organ performances in order to give the organ a natural role in cultural life". Open Europe's Stephen Booth is quoted in the Telegraph saying, "These projects show that, if nothing else, EU bureaucrats have an exceptional talent for finding creative ways to waste taxpayers' money. Europe is struggling through the worst economic climate for generations and yet the EU budget is still being squandered on dubious projects that do nothing to create sustainable jobs and futures for European citizens."

The Mail also quotes Open Europe Director Mats Persson saying, "The EU's spending machine is completely out of sync with economic reality", and asking "why EU bureaucrats should be involved in cultural initiatives in the first place. Surely this is better handled nationally or locally?"

EU 'wastes' millions on hip hop and circus skills - Telegraph

EU 'wasting' millions on hip hop and circus skills | Mail Online

Is Mats correct? Should cultural spending be the responsibility of individual countries?

[Christine Murray]

yes it should be the responsibility of the country. Though FF have pretty much cheapened our culture to the point of non-return, anything to turn a fast buck.

[Sailor]

[QUOTE=Christine Murray;2534257]yes it should be the responsibility of the country. Though FF have pretty much cheapened our culture to the point of non-return, anything to turn a fast buck.[/QUOTE]

Can you develop on this thesis?

[hiding behind a poster]

The European Commission is to spend £366 million through its 2010 culture programme on arts events to promote wind instruments, 'hip hop' dance and circus skills. £180,000 has been earmarked for a 'Wind Art Festival' to address the "need to increase audience for organ performances in order to give the organ a natural role in cultural life". Open Europe's Stephen Booth is quoted in the Telegraph saying, "These projects show that, if nothing else, EU bureaucrats have an exceptional talent for finding creative ways to waste taxpayers' money. Europe is struggling through the worst economic climate for generations and yet the EU budget is still being squandered on dubious projects that do nothing to create sustainable jobs and futures for European citizens."

The Mail also quotes Open Europe Director Mats Persson saying, "The EU's spending machine is completely out of sync with economic reality", and asking "why EU bureaucrats should be involved in cultural initiatives in the first place. Surely this is better handled nationally or locally?"

EU 'wastes' millions on hip hop and circus skills - Telegraph

EU 'wasting' millions on hip hop and circus skills | Mail Online

Is Mats correct? Should cultural spending be the responsibility of individual countries?

Wow, Telegraph plants Open Europe story in order to attack EU.

Not sure how I'll get over the shock of this.

[Christine Murray]

l have done so over numerous threads and in my blog, here's the short version : they don't get the concept of stewardship, they ignore heritage directives, numerous campaigns have grown round their narrow cultural interpretation incl. Blasphemy, National Campaign for the Arts, the IWC/WWC protests, the Save Tara Campaign...

[Riadach]

As far as I'm aware projects like these are between at least seven different countries in order to be eligible for funding, so I don't think, even if they wanted to, that individual countries could fund such cultural activities. I don't think there is any government that could promote such intercultural dialogue on such a supernational level.

[MrFunkyBoogaloo]

The European Commission is to spend £366 million through its 2010 culture programme on arts events to promote wind instruments, 'hip hop' dance and circus skills. £180,000 has been earmarked for a 'Wind Art Festival' to address the "need to increase audience for organ performances in order to give the organ a natural role in cultural life". Open Europe's Stephen Booth is quoted in the Telegraph saying, "These projects show that, if nothing else, EU bureaucrats have an exceptional talent for finding creative ways to waste taxpayers' money. Europe is struggling through the worst economic climate for generations and yet the EU budget is still being squandered on dubious projects that do nothing to create sustainable jobs and futures for European citizens."

The Mail also quotes Open Europe Director Mats Persson saying, "The EU's spending machine is completely out of sync with economic reality", and asking "why EU bureaucrats should be involved in cultural initiatives in the first place. Surely this is better handled nationally or locally?"

EU 'wastes' millions on hip hop and circus skills - Telegraph

EU 'wasting' millions on hip hop and circus skills | Mail Online

Is Mats correct? Should cultural spending be the responsibility of individual countries?

I suppose specific cultural traits to each nationality (if there are any?) are best left to the individual member states.

But I don't see it as "wasting" money if the EU spends it on music, dance and performing arts, which are not specific to just one or a few nationalities but span the entire block. Let's face it, millions of people enjoy these activities/events worldwide.

Do you have a link to the actual figures though? Is it not a grant system whereby groups apply for said monies? Is that £ figure for the UK only or for the entire union?

[Sailor]

l have done so over numerous threads and in my blog, here's the short version : they don't get the concept of stewardship, they ignore heritage directives, numerous campaigns have grown round their narrow cultural interpretation incl. Blasphemy, National Campaign for the Arts, the IWC/WWC protests, the Save Tara Campaign...

Absolute nonsense - as I clearly demonstrated on threads on both those subjects.

[Panopticon]

OP, do you think all culture spending is wasted, or just culture spending from the budget of the European Union?

[He3]

Wind Art is a phrase to conjure with.

The Commission can never have enough organs to sound off about its achievements.