New cultural strategy required

Arts minister Mark Fisher indicated the Government’s commitment to design in a speech at the Royal College of Art last week.

“We aim to be a Government with a cultural strategy rather than an art-funding Government,” he said. “There’s been more attention in the past to nurturing audiences than artists and designers, ” he added, though he paid tribute to former minister John Gummer for his efforts in architecture.

“The future in this country lies in adding value,” he said, and that suggested a role for design. He said that the country would need “a huge cultural shift” to get UK companies to give design and architecture priority.