The arts, in all their rich variety, belong to everyone, regardless of race, class, culture, age, sex, disability or sexuality. 

 

The arts can offer innovative solutions, build bridges and express differences positively, not just for the individual but for whole communities.  They can break boundaries. 

 

This is why the arts have so much to contribute to wider social issues.  From neighbourhood renewal to health, and from the criminal justice system to employment, the arts has something to offer.

 

There are some who argue that the arts used in these ways inevitably lead to a 'dumbing down' of the artistic experience.  These same people insist that quality art cannot possibly come out of programmes with social aims. 

 

The Government believes that the arts in social contexts can demonstrate excellence and that these two need not be mutually exclusive.