|
Arts are increasingly part of the landscape in the UK – whether it is on the streets, in sculpture parks, on public transport, or part of the regeneration programme of whole cities.
Many museums and galleries have become free of charge in the last few years, making them more accessible, not just to people who have been unable to afford to go in the past but to people who enjoy making many visits and developing relationships with a gallery or museum. These articles look at just a few places where free arts flourish, with an emphasis on less traditional venues.
There are other aspects to access, other than simply making art free. It can be a question of physical access – and over the past ten years many laws have been introduced to ensure older and less able people can reach/access venues. Or it could be that, because many arts venues are located in cities and towns, people in remote areas are unable to visit them. Sometimes people feel excluded because arts establishments are perceived as exclusive and ’not for us’.
In addition access can be restricted because arts are too easily understood only in a Western context and don’t make provision for the multicultural nature of UK society. Street arts and Poems on the Underground address these issues by their immediacy and the directness of their appeal.
|
