Politicians want to kill off our culture

For decades our society has been driven by the primary objective of corporate profit at minimum cost. In London just like many other cities there has been policies driven by austerity, where such public amenities as theatres, libraries, youth clubs, music venues, community centres, and such have been closed down and the property and land handed over to property speculators and developers to build blocks of luxury apartments and shops. With each closure jobs are lost, there are fewer and fewer opportunities and this has also affected other civic amenities such as pubs.

This has a devastating effect on our communities and society

Everyone in society benefits in some way from the creativity of other people. We all listen to music, we all watch films, we all enjoy comedy, we all appreciate art and beauty expressed through photography and design. Think about the design of your smartphone, your furniture, your clothes, the things you make use of which makes your life much easier. All this creativity requires three things, access to space, access to opportunities, and investment. Creativity isn't something you just do, it requires discipline, and practice, it requires dedication, and for many people it is their only opportunity to contribute to their communities and to society.

It cannot be all about take, take, take without giving anything back

English language culture enjoys prominence throughout the world. Small children throughout the world understand the term Disney, and bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley and Pink Floyd have followers throughout the world. But like any other culture in the world English language culture requires investment and the creation of opportunities which is not happening and hasn't happened for many years. There's no excuses why we have close to half a million homeless people, why so many people are starving, struggling to afford basic essentials, nor are there any excuses for the current state of divisions between people which investment in culture would resolve.

We are calling for an end to austerity and an investment in cultural development and development of local communities in a way which is sustainable and leads to the creation of community spaces and the creation of realistic opportunities for creative people so that we can rebuild our theatre, our music industry and our film industry. We are addressing this petition not just to the Government but to all political parties.

This is important. Culture is the central reference point for human beings and how we come together as communities and society. Please sign and share our petition.