Press release - 02 February 2005

NCA Arts Manifesto launched

The NCA's campaign to put the arts firmly onto the electoral agenda has taken a great leap forward following the launch of its Arts Manifesto.

The Manifesto was presented to the arts constituency at a reception at Tate Modern on 26 January. More than a hundred representatives of arts organisations from across the country discussed the Manifesto's recommendations over a glass of wine.

A week later the Manifesto was launched in the House of Commons to the All-Party Group on Arts and Heritage. This cross-party organisation comprises over 300 MPs and peers with an interest in culture. The NCA was invited to present the Manifesto to members of the Group and spent a very productive hour answering their questions.

The next step of the NCA's campaign will focus around targeting key MPs and policy makers from all parties. The NCA will meet with them in order to explain the Manifesto in detail and persuade them to include its recommendations in their own party manifestos.

NCA Director Victoria Todd said: 'The response from both artists and politicians has been astonishing. The office has been flooded with comments from people congratulating us on producing such a clear and comprehensive statement of the arts constituency's ambitions. There is a real audience for this document in Parliament and around the country. Now we have to make sure that it reaches them.'

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