U.K. artists' open letter warns against cuts

More than 100 of the U.K.'s biggest artists have signed an open letter to the country's culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, warning against proposed drastic cuts to the arts.

The signatories include David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor and filmmaker Steve McQueen.

The letter says more cuts would devastate the country's "remarkable and fertile landscape of culture and creativity."

"We recognize that cuts and efficiencies are necessary, but the 25 per cent or more funding cuts being considered will sabotage Britain's unparalleled achievements in this area," said the letter. "[The arts] enriches the lives of millions of Britons and attracts millions more visitors from other countries. It does all this at a cost that is no more than a tiny fraction of the national budget."

The letter says the cuts would undermine small galleries and museums where many artists got their start. It would also cause other institutions to cut back on their programs, further eroding any chance of fostering new artists.

The letter is the latest salvo by artists, who began a campaign against the cuts back in early September.

In July, the cash-strapped British coalition government asked major arts funding agencies to figure out how they would handle cuts of 25 to 30 per cent.

"The reality is that the arts bring in a huge revenue to the U.K. and they will be vital to any recovery," Kapoor, a sculptor, told The Guardian newspaper.

"It hasn't got the emotive impact of cuts to, say, hospitals or schools, but it is just as important. The arts are a central way in which we gain a sense of community, of something collective in our society; it gives us our sense of place."

The government will reveal its spending review, which will outline where it will make cuts, on Oct. 20.