Charles Handy article on the value of the arts to modern industrial society, and how access to the arts should be and remain free to all. Handy begins the article discussing his visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, and a trip to the Mariinsky Theatre to view the Nutcracker. He reflects on how St. Petersburg, during the wintertime, is a grand but uncomfortable place because of its weather and the atmosphere it creates for the people, which have not yet received the rejuvenating effects of capitalism. This observation leads Handy to reflect that, if he were a St. Petersburger in the winter, he would be inclined to ponder what life is all about and if living is worth it. He proceeds to note that the Russian ballet changed his relationship to the environment because of its beauty, and how it was danced to perfection by the Kirov School, before considering how the Russians braved the weather to visit the Hermitage Museum the next day to absorb the culture and beauty. Handy goes on to wonder whether the theatre and ballet will endure once Russia embraces free market capitalism, then considers how the people of Tuscany, Italy have maintained their appreciation for art and culture by actively investing in and supporting it. Handy concludes that such attitudes and practices, namely, open access to arts and culture, should be imitated in Britain for it to be a truly civilized society.
Handy, Charles B Handy, Elizabeth Management today series Saint Petersburg (Russia) Nutcracker (Ballet) Kirov Ballet Company Kirov Ballet Academy Capitalism Hermitage Museum (Russia) Britain and its people Tuscany (Italy) Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Uffizi Gallery
Source
Charles Handy article on the value of the arts to modern industrial society, and how access to the arts should be and remain free to all, 1996; Charles Handy Papers; Box 20, Folder 11; 1 page
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