25 years of DCMS

May 26 2017

Picture: DCMS

This week saw the 25th anniversary of the creation of the UK's Department for Culture Media and Sport. It actually began life as the Department of National Heritage in 1992 courtesy of Sir John Major, but then in 1997 New Labour changed it to the more modern sounding DCMS. I don't think there can be any doubt that the UK's cultural sector and creative industries are in a far better place thanks to the department; we've had billions in lottery money, relative protection from funding cuts (at least, at a national museum level, not regional), and many other Good Things. All this is due to the work of its civil servants, the benefit of having representation at Cabinet level, and the dedication of a series of usually good ministers, some of them excellent. I don't think all this would have been delivered had the arts and culture been berthed within different departments (like Education) as they used to be.

 

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