Munira Mirza, University of Kent, Canterbury, presenter of the BBC Documentary series, The Business of Race, and editor of the book, Culture Vultures: is UK Arts policy damaging the arts?, will speak on: From Universalism to Identity – the changing face of UK arts policy.

The seminar will take place on Friday 3 November at 12pm in Room H0.58, Humanities Building.

Many argue that the arts are currently experiencing a 'golden age' in the UK. The sector has received large boosts in funding, whilst politicians make claims about the importance of the arts and creativity to society and insist that arts organisations must become more relevant to a wider public, celebrate diversity and contribute to community cohesion.

It needs to be acknowledged that, historically, each society has valued the arts for different reasons. This author argues that the arts sector is currently more preoccupied with identity than ever before and that arts policy takes an increasingly therapeutic approach to the individual.

This seminar series is organised by the research students in the Centre for Cultural Policy Studies.