The government spends about 220 million pounds a year supporting museums and galleries in the U.K., and a similar amount subsidizing the visual and performing arts This is a huge sum to spend on minority interests, and the money would be better spent on more important things. It should be up to the people who enjoy cultural attractions to pay for them What are your views? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience

It is a common phenomenon for countries to devote a sizable portion of their annual budget to subsidize cultural activities.

However

, critics argue that other parties should be responsible for bearing

such

costs since investment in the arts does not benefit

society

at large.

This

essay argues that cultural spending should be prioritized over public expenditure due to the potential upsides for the economy and that government-funded cultural attractions would benefit the creative industry and by extension, the whole

society

in the long run. The prime benefit of public spending on the arts is that it

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serves as

servesas

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serves as

a powerful driver for economic development. State-sponsored cultural activities scale into major attractions for locals and tourists alike,

hence

boosting the local tourism and retail industries, thereby making

the

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apply

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society

more affluent. A case in point is Hong Kong, which has developed into a major international city thanks to the administration's active promotion of various cultural activities. Today,

this

metropolis is known as the " Pearl of the Orient " thanks to its vibrant economy backed by an endless influx of tourists from various parts of the world. Despite opposing voices, it is clear that the arts deserve state sponsorship since they benefit the entire

society

rather than just a selected few. In fact, with government-funded art venues, budding artists are enabled to publish their work at a lower cost, which allows for more exhibits to take place and in turn, a greater chance to source high-quality artwork from the cultural scene Take

for instance

the South Korean government, whose subsidies for the film - making have allowed for its rapid transformation into a world-class industry. It has since become a major pillar of the Korean economy. All in all, it is evident that government involvement in the cultural industry does better than harm, particularly in its role in economic growth and cultural development.