Reading for Battle
Battle Readings is a regularly updated compilation of articles, essays, and opinion pieces relevant to the themes of the Battle of Ideas.
Choose a theme from the listing on the left to narrow your search, or view all readings.
Arts & Culture
We’re all equal here: singing together is the great leveller
It doesn’t matter how much you earn, what your job is, where you went to school or who you know. Just add your voice to the overall sound.
Chris Rowbury, From the front of the choir blog, 22 January 2012
It doesn’t matter how much you earn, what your job is, where you went to school or who you know. Just add your voice to the overall sound.
Chris Rowbury, From the front of the choir blog, 22 January 2012
Should art really be for its own sake alone?
If art museums are the new churches, perhaps they should end the veneration of ambiguity and start serving our inner needs
Alain de Botton, Guardian, 20 January 2012
If art museums are the new churches, perhaps they should end the veneration of ambiguity and start serving our inner needs
Alain de Botton, Guardian, 20 January 2012
David Hockney rebuffs 'greatest living artist' title
David Hockney has rebuffed claims that he is Britain's greatest living artist, calling the description "newspaper stuff".
David Hockney, BBC News, 13 January 2012
David Hockney has rebuffed claims that he is Britain's greatest living artist, calling the description "newspaper stuff".
David Hockney, BBC News, 13 January 2012
The Age of Creativity
We are at the dawn of a new age – where nations are increasingly turning to creativity and design to achieve growth and success.
Sir John Sorrell, Arup, 6 January 2012
We are at the dawn of a new age – where nations are increasingly turning to creativity and design to achieve growth and success.
Sir John Sorrell, Arup, 6 January 2012
Why should we fund the arts?
Publicly funded arts institutions are under more pressure than ever to quantify the social benefits they bring, as would be done for schools and hospitals. But isn't the crucial role of art to challenge the way society is run?
David Edgar, Guardian, 5 January 2012
Publicly funded arts institutions are under more pressure than ever to quantify the social benefits they bring, as would be done for schools and hospitals. But isn't the crucial role of art to challenge the way society is run?
David Edgar, Guardian, 5 January 2012
Red and blue heavens
For those who already love medieval manuscripts the exhibition is unmissable. For those who don’t (yet), there is a wealth of treasures and surprises that constantly make you recalibrate your assumptions and understanding
Richard Swan, Culture Wars, 5 January 2012
For those who already love medieval manuscripts the exhibition is unmissable. For those who don’t (yet), there is a wealth of treasures and surprises that constantly make you recalibrate your assumptions and understanding
Richard Swan, Culture Wars, 5 January 2012
The Politics of Culture: the case for universalism
In the twenty-first century, cultural policy is increasingly dominated by the politics of diversity. Cultural institutions lack confidence in their own intrinsic value and seek relevance by promoting diverse identities.
Munira Mirza, Palgrave Macmillan, 13 December 2011
Pop history: a poor substitute for real history
While society has become ever more estranged from the great events of the past, music has been on a lazy nostalgia trip of reunions, reissues, recycling and anniversaries.
Neil Davenport, spiked review of books, 1 December 2011
While society has become ever more estranged from the great events of the past, music has been on a lazy nostalgia trip of reunions, reissues, recycling and anniversaries.
Neil Davenport, spiked review of books, 1 December 2011
Creativity and curiosity: Do we make stuff up or find it out?
The world of music has much to contribute to debate around the nexus between discovery and invention.
Professor Colin Lawson, Independent, 9 November 2011
The world of music has much to contribute to debate around the nexus between discovery and invention.
Professor Colin Lawson, Independent, 9 November 2011
From the sublime to the ridiculous: can we measure the value of the arts?
In a world that is increasingly quantified, compared and assessed, it is perhaps only fair that a framework for measuring the value of the arts is put in place. But where would we begin?
Tom Hutchinson, Independent, 28 October 2011
In a world that is increasingly quantified, compared and assessed, it is perhaps only fair that a framework for measuring the value of the arts is put in place. But where would we begin?
Tom Hutchinson, Independent, 28 October 2011
Are we still a classless society Mr Cameron?
"In few places does the free exchange of views take place on so wide a range of issues as at the Battle of Ideas. Whatever the headlines of 2011 prove to be, the Battle of Ideas is where they will be most robustly debated."
Andrew Copson, chief executive, British Humanist Association
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