If there’s one thing that pretty well everyone agrees upon, it is that the last decade has been a Golden Age. As far as culture goes, you – we – all of us, have all never had it so good.

And the evidence is there across the piece, whether we look at participation numbers, commercial income, creative output or international awards. Despite the credit crunch:
• Cinema admissions in the first half of 2009 were the highest they’d been for seven years.
• West End theatres chalked up a record year for audiences, breaking through the 14 million barrier for the first time.
• English Heritage visitor numbers peaked at 1.2 million last August – and
• Museum attendance grew over three times the national average for all visitor attractions in 2008.
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But this success did not come about by accident. It was made possible by a deliberate act of public policy- more taxpayers’ money, leading to increased and sustained public investment, allowing individual talent to flourish and enabling infrastructure to be renewed.

Since 1997, we have increased our investment in the Arts by 83% in real terms and our investment in museums by 69%. It’s because of that investment that the Arts Council was able to report that new work now makes up 47% of the repertoire in subsidized theatre as compared to a mere 14% a decade ago.

And it’s because we chose to fund free admissions to all our national museums, that attendance at those museums which previously charged has grown by a massive 124% since 2002.

And more recently, people felt we had finally put to bed the false dichotomy between access and excellence. Indeed, there is now a wide consensus that it is only through excellence in artistic and cultural endeavour that we can encourage greater participation in - and enjoyment of - culture, heritage and the arts.
The last decade has also seen a coming together of the arguments deemed important to justify public investment in the sector. More and more people understand the intrinsic value of culture and yearn for the experiences which will enrich their souls and even transform their lives.

At the same time, there is wider recognition of the role arts and culture can play across our lives:
• Stimulating creativity as children develop their skills and capabilities in schools,
• Creating more attractive places where people want to live and work;
• Using cultural investment as a catalyst for regeneration;
• Or, supporting the creative sector as a key growth sector of our modern economy.