British artists, filmmakers pledge support to labour; Corbyn promises to invest £1 billion for cultural fund

An open letter signed by scores of artists, filmmakers, playwrights and writers has pledged “full support” for Labour’s manifesto, It’s Time For Real Change, which they describe as “the most visionary offered to the British electorate in living memory.”

Published in Tribune, the letter praises Labour’s “vision of the arts as being integral to communities, and its conception of politics as something inherently collective, creative and transformative.”

The letter also singles out the “refreshing” approach of party leader Jeremy Corbyn, describing him as someone “who respects the intelligence and creativity of everyday people, and who values the arts and education not just for their role in the economy, but for their capacity to enrich people’s lives.” Among the signatories are Shameless creator Paul Abbott, acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney, seminal indie musician Thurston Moore and award-winning comedian Josie Long.

The letter was published as Labour launched its cultural manifesto on Sunday evening. The manifesto pledges to invest £1 billion in a cultural capital fund to upgrade and build libraries, museums and venues. It also says that a Labour government would invest £175 million per year in an arts premium for schoolchildren.

Grime artists such as Wiley and Nadia Rose have also tweeted their support for Mr Corbyn, as Grime4Corbyn – which significantly boosted Labour’s election campaign in 2017 – looks set to stage a return in the coming weeks.

The letter finished: “We are excited at the prospect of a Labour government that will draw on Raymond Williams’s belief that ‘culture is ordinary’ and William Morris’s dream of ‘art for the people.’

“Most of all, we are excited at the prospect of a government that operates in a utopian spirit, after years of being told that ‘there is no alternative’ to austerity and all the misery and inequality that came with it.

“We may never have a better chance to realise such a vision: we owe it to the country, the world and the future to support it.”