Open letter to ACE re: digital/new media disinvestment

folly supports the following Open Letter to ACE on the Development of Digital Culture in the UK. This letter has been produced collaboratively, following a meeting of UK based digital sector organisations and practitioners that will be affected either directly or indirectly by the recent funding decisions by Arts Council England.

The letter states that:

"We the undersigned believe that clear national policies need to be developed to ensure that the UK can remain at the forefront of digital culture, globally, and that these must take account of the key role creative practices play in driving digital innovation.

Whilst we appreciate that digital technologies have created exciting opportunities to engage with audiences, and to disseminate and distribute arts programmes in new ways, it is critical that funders and policy-makers understand that this is not the extent of digital culture. If we are to make the most of the digital opportunity, it needs to be recognised at a national policy level that digital culture is about more than extending the reach of existing arts practices. It is about entirely new forms of production, expression, practice and critical reflection that digital technologies have made possible.

We are concerned about the place of art, creative practice, criticality and risk-taking in current and future funding policies."

The full open letter can be found at http://www.coda2coda.net/

We encourage you to please show your support by signing the petition and sharing this with others.

Thanks

Taylor Nuttall
Chief Executive
folly