Valuing Culture was an event held at the National Theatre Studio on 17th June 2003, organised by Demos in partnership with the National Gallery, the National Theatre and AeA Consulting. Prompted by the need for a new concordat to be formed between cultural organisations and their funders, the event questioned whether the balance is right between meeting targets for the instrumental needs of funders across a range of social policy areas, and the recognition of the inherent and less quantifiable intrinsic value of cultural activity.

The proceedings included a speeches from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell, and Lord Stevenson, Chairman of Pearson and HBOS and Former Chair of the Tate. Estelle Morris, then newly appointed Minister for the Arts, also made a brief contribution.

Full texts of a number of the speeches given are available for download in PDF format:

Adrian Ellis, Director of AeA Consulting (137KB)

Charles Saumarez Smith, Director of the National Gallery (66KB)

Rt Hon Chris Smith MP, Director of the Clore Programme for Cultural Leadership (41KB)

Deborah Bestwick, Director of Oval House Theatre (44KB)

Nicholas Hytner, Director of the National Theatre (23KB)

Professor Robert Hewison, cultural commentator and art historian (59KB)

Sara Selwood, Editor of Cultural Trends (66KB)