British artists rally against arts cuts

Dozens of prominent British artists, including Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, have joined a high-profile campaign against proposed government cuts to arts funding.

The cash-strapped British coalition government asked major arts funding agencies in July to consider how they would handle cuts of 25 to 30 per cent.

Now an online petition backed by an animated video from Glasgow artist and cartoonist David Shrigley is drawing more public attention to the issue.

Artists including David Hockney, Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley rallied outside London's Tate Modern gallery Friday to launch the campaign.

"It has taken 50 years to create a vibrant arts culture in Britain that is the envy of the world," the petition reads. "We the undersigned appeal to the government not to slash arts funding and risk destroying this long-term achievement and the social and economic benefits it brings to all."

The petition argues the cuts would result in the closing of many smaller arts groups and lead to a radical downsizing of Britain's cultural legacy.

So far it has more than 3,800 signatures, including more than 100 artists.

The animated video makes the case for the economic impact of investment in the arts, arguing "The arts are to Britain what sun is to Spain" and pointing out that thousands of visitors come to the U.K. annually to enjoy the arts.

It also attempts to deflate the public perception that Britons have to choose between "useful" things like firefighters and policemen and funding for the arts with a humorous skit in which Emin responds to a house fire.

A survey released early in September showed that two-thirds of people agree with the British government's plan cut arts funding, and almost 20 per cent believed the arts should not be supported at all.

The artists plan to produce a new artwork of protest every week until government's spending review on Oct. 20 which will outline where it will make cuts.