In 1974, the BBC’s “fly on the wall” documentary The Family was praised for its innovative quality. It stimulated a national debate on the state of British family life. In the quarter of a century that followed, however, the genre mutated into the “docusoap”, until that died, having exploited everyone from learner drivers to vets to prostitutes. Recently, we have been treated to a spate of shows devoted to the drunken antics of the British on holiday in Greece and, of course, the English fans at Euro 2000.Maybe Channel 4 should make a documentary about our seemingly insatiable national appetite for voyeurism It might even make for quality television..

This is a great time to be talking about the arts There are several reasons. A number of wonderful new facilities have emerged for the public to enjoy. The Walsall Museum and Art Gallery, the Royal Court and, of course, Tate Modern have all opened in recent months, to acclaim. Walsall has uncovered a massive new audience for the visual arts in the Midlands, and Tate Modern has had huge numbers of visitors

This is a great time to be talking about the arts There are several reasons. A number of wonderful new facilities have emerged for the public to enjoy.

The Walsall Museum and Art Gallery, the Royal Court and, of course, Tate Modern have all opened in recent months, to acclaim. Walsall has uncovered a massive new audience for the visual arts in the Midlands, and Tate Modern has had huge numbers of visitors.
The arts can no longer be characterised as a middle- or upper-class pursuit. Research shows that, even in the lower-income groups, half of all adults participate in the arts: that’s more than the number who participate in sport. In fact, as many people play a musical instrument as play football.I’d like to go back to when I took up my role at the Arts Council, two years ago. I was very quickly branded as someone who was simply there to close it down or, at best, to slim it down.Yes, there were organisational things that needed fixing, and I was brought in to do the fixing, something I had done in my business life.