Sir, - According to Luke Clancy in his Marseilles Diary (October 30th), the state of cultural debate in France is "a very long way from the money no object days of the grands projects (sic) and Jack Lang's Ministry of Culture". I presume that Luke Clancy is suggesting two things here; that money flowed like water from the Lang Ministry, and that somehow his tenure as Minister was a golden age in the cultural politics of late 20th century France.
Both of these suggestions are rather contentious. During the period 1982-1993 (that is, the period covering each of Lang's terms in office). the portion of the state budget allocated to the Ministry of Culture rose from 0.75 per cent to 0.79 per cent, excluding funds for the various grand projects hardly a sign of a money no object policy!
Indeed, despite quite deliberate government intervention in the area of cultural affairs, surveys taken by the Ministry itself in 1973, 1981 and in 1990 show that since its inception by de Gaulle in 1958 - to give Andre Malraux something to do, some would say - whilst there has been a huge increase in the number of people with educational qualifications, the centre of gravity of cultural practice has moved away from books, theatre going and the visiting of art galleries. in fact, what the surveys do show is that for most French people. watching television is the main cultural and leisure activity.
All of this would seen to call into question the very existence of Ministries of Culture Arts Councils, Aosdana, etc. - Yours. etc..
Llewellyn Grove, Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.