Appendix C. Models of cultural policy

ROLE OF MODEL

WHERE USED

POLICY OBJECTIVE

FUNDING MECHANISM

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

FACILITATOR

USA

Diversity

Tax expenditures and incentives

S: diversity of funding sources

W: excellence not necessarily supported; valuation of tax costs; benefits for benefactors; calculation of tax cost

PATRON

UK, Australia

Excellence

International standards

Arm’s length

Peer evaluation

S: support for excellence

W: favours traditional elite artforms

ARCHITECT

France

Social welfare

Industry assistance

Department and Ministry of Culture

S: relief from box office dependence; secures training and career structure

W: Creative directives lead to stagnation and resistance

ENGINEER

Former Soviet countries, Cuba, Korea

Political education, National culture

Government ownership of artistic production

S: focus creative energy to attain political goals

W: subservience; underground; counter-intuitive outcomes

ELITE NURTURER[1]

Major Organisational Fund (Australia)

Selective elite development

Direct government ongoing funding of cultural organisations

S: encourage excellence, financial stability

W: insulates organisations from external influences/forces

[1] NB. Cummings and Katz refer to this as the Elite Gambler model. I prefer the term Elite Nurturer since it involves cosseting chosen organisations rather than betting on them (see Craik 1996).

Source: Adapted from Harry Hillman-Chartrand and Claire McCaughey (1989) ‘The arm’s length principle and the arts: an international perspective — past, present and future’, in M. Cumming and M. Schuster (eds) Who’s to pay for the Arts? The International Search for Models of Support New York: American Council for the Arts Books, pp. 54-55.