Building Jerusalem

A lively & provocative account of the arts in Britain, Building Jerusalem suggests that even after fifty years of state planning of Britain's "leisure industries" the country is nevertheless approaching the millennium in a state of cultural confusion. Drawing on a wealth of historical material from Scotland, Wales, & English provincial towns, as well as the more familiar London story, Pick & Anderton contend that the original meaning of cultural language has been distorted by the fashionable phrase-making of modern government agencies, & by the inaccurate & misleading view of cultural history that is constantly presented to the public. The authors unfold fascinating stories of Britain's cultural past, before state support of the arts. They vividly relate the great changes wrought by the industrial revolution & by the development of the twentieth century media & describe the long history of Church & Royal support for the arts, as well as the long periods when all of the arts in Britain sustained themselves in the free market by means of public subscription. The book details Britain's first long-running lottery (eventually considered by Parliament to be an unsuitable pastime in a civilized democracy), as well as the story of the first Royal Opera House (sustained entirely by private funds) & a description of the long history of "Millennium" alarms & prophecies. The authors make many insightful comparisons to modern times, for instance, between the (privately funded) Great Exhibition of 1851 & the "Millennium Experience" at the end of the twentieth century, & between the early industrial "wakes" & the modern tourist industry. Although it deals exclusively with the British experience, Building Jerusalem will provide a valuable case study for everyone concerned with cultural policy-making, with management of the arts, or with the leisure industry. It is also essential for all those engaged in the "creative industries" & those who want to learn something about Britain's cultural history. Contents: Introduction: The Shock of the Old * The Virgin Queen * The Royal Enclosures * Industriousness & the Lottery * The Glory of Commercial Art * Industrial Revolution * The Great Exhibition * Provision for the People * The Horrors of Tourism * Mass, Messages & the Media * Nationalisation of the Arts * The Mirage of the Millennium * Shadows & Illusion * Appendix: Comparison of Cultural Organisations & Workers in Cardiff, Leicester, Nottingham & Sheffield in 1850, 1900 & 1950