Forum Topic

British Exports to be proud of

I find it rather sad that in all this shouting around British achievements or lack of them nothing has been mentioned of the really great achievements in literature and music. England has produced the greatest writer of all time. The National Theatre is a huge triumph playing to audiences world wide. What about the Proms and the Royal Opera - (Michael I think you mentioned attending?) The Edinburgh Festival is both Scottish And international is it not? And before someone accuses me of being elitist or a leftie Guardian Reading Luvvie this isn't about me - though I am an opera fan- it's about real English/British achievements of which we should all be proud.

Jane Carter ● 2856d14 Comments

I agree Jane and also the fact that I have seen several (and who knows how many there are) film clips of small businesses in the UK who say that they welcome Brexit and it will have a very positive influence on their business.There will be difficulties, but we have so much to offer and I look forward to when Brits can flex their wings and get on with their lives.

Bunny Payne ● 2856d

And 40 years of great British rock bands.

Allen Bracchi ● 2856d

@Jane. Agreed, the UK has great opera, not just the ROH, also the ENO, WNO, Northern and Scottish Operas, and not forgetting Glyndebourne. Good concert venues: Barbican, RFH, Wigmore and Cadogan Halls, not forgetting the Proms etc at the RAH, and the new King's Place. Great theatre, including some very innovative fringe groups. And then the museums and art galleries, too many to go them justice, but the Battersea Arts Centre has now reopened. And, yes, will still have the greatest rock bands and heritage. Composers even come here to adopt us - where else but London is there a Handel & Hendrix house! 🙂

Michael Ixer ● 2856d

Yes, we do have an amazing music industry, in the arts, popular culture and also film music.  Dame Sarah Connolly is a UK mezzo-soprano who has written an article on how Brexit would affect the music industry:https://jessicamusic.blogspot.com/2018/11/why-we-stand-to-lose-our-leading-place.html?fbclid=IwAR1y2ZVGM-svhGLxd2MJeEtmUt2f2txq2PXzLYPVOj4ItPTkk8K1YXOCIds

Clare Noeken ● 2856d

Small-mindedness, insularity and racism?  That is what the rest of the World consider us exporting at the moment...

Rose Compton ● 2856d

"Small-mindedness, insularity and racism?"No-mindedness, I'd say.And no point in us exporting insularity and racism, as there is a worldwide over-supply.

David Ainsworth ● 2855d

Our creative industries are truly world class and increasingly valuable to the U.K. economy especially if you include the digital sector for which the Dept for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has responsibility. An estimated £200bn per annum in fact. And they are overwhelmingly pro Remain in sentiment as they are very dependent on retaining full and open access to the EU. John Kampfner, until recently head of the Creative Industries Federation, has been a doughty champion of their growing importance to the knowledge economy on which many of our hopes of global relevance rely. He speaks out fairly often. Here is a recent example from, yes, the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/25/brexit-uk-global-joke-rebuild-reputation.  It doesn’t make comfortable reading.

Jonathan Callaway ● 2855d

Sorry, i missed something, America, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Brazil, Spain and Italy think we are racistFunnies thing that i have heard so far today!

Emarisa Battoia ● 2855d

Yes I think you did miss something. David quite rightly said that there is plenty of racism in the world, including, no doubt, the countries you mention; not that they think we are racist.

Jane Carter ● 2855d

Listening to R4's In Our Time this morning I realised Beckett must have left a sequel to Godot: "Waiting for Brexit"  with a new character called Backstop ...

Michael Ixer ● 2855d

I noted in a post elsewhere that my astro and quantum physicist contacts were rabidly anti Brexit. Dame Sarah expresses the feelings of my friends associated with and interested in the arts. Common ground across the arts and science spectrum. Unfortunately, the unemployed and disadvantaged in the areas that voted for Brexit as a protest against austerity probably aren't going to be receptive to the arguments of those groups. There needs to be better arguments as to why membership of the EU is better for investment in deprived areas, commerce, health and social care and why it will be better for employment opportunities or, in bad times, benefits.

Michael Ixer ● 2855d

JaneI was responding directly to what Rose said. Use a bit of common sense dear.....

Emarisa Battoia ● 2855d

No need to be patronising Emarisa.

Lucille Grant ● 2855d

I wasn't Lucille, Jane was with her original comment. Or did you miss that bit?But thanks for the one 's' this time :)

Emarisa Battoia ● 2855d