Some people think government is wasting money on art and that money is spent elsewhere. To what extent do you agree with this?

The issue of how governments should invest the money citizens pay by taxes is a question of increasing interest in the current public sphere.

However

, whether in healthcare services, education, infrastructure, or in cultural development

such

as art

access

, the public resources investment needs to be addressed by governments according to context and the social demands as I will explain below.

First

of all, arts add great emotional value to societies. It has been demonstrated by multiple studies on human behaviour, that

Access

to cultural experiences like theatre shows, dancing or painting classes can improve individuals' mental health and reduce stress levels by up to 60% according to recent research conducted in Europe. Actually, (example)

Nevertheless

, there are some situations when arts are not an essential good to spend money on.

For example

, when countries are experiencing difficult times

such

as natural disasters, war, and hunger, among others, they prioritize their needs and put money into these major situations.

For instance

, developing countries have in their agenda priority investments

such

as creating health care centres or better basic services.

As a result

,

access

to art becomes a secondary investment. In conclusion, cultural development and

access

to art can be considered important to develop emotional engagement,

conversely

, it may become a

second

option if any emergency comes up. In my opinion, balance and context awareness is key in public resources management where governments could make any big investment in that topic whenever basic needs are covered.