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Europe
Who are the most cultured Europeans?
2005-02-19
Official: Britons are most cultured Europeans
Heh.
The Italians have Michelangelo, the French Moliere and the Germans Beethoven. But, according to an Italian survey, the British - the beer-swilling, tabloid-reading, supposedly sports-crazy British - are more cultured than any of them. They go to more concerts, films, plays, galleries and libraries than almost anyone in Europe. They even manage to visit more ruins and monuments than the Italians. But the one area where they lag behind the other major nations of Europe is sport. More French, Italians and Spanish than British go to a course or stadium. But the British are sportier than the Germans and, proportionately, attendances are above the average for the former European Union of 15 states.
Did they have a catagory for football riots? I'm sure the Brits placed high in that one.
These and other findings are contained in a survey of European cultural consumption commissioned in Italy and due to be published next week. Interviewees in the countries that made up the EU until its enlargement last year were asked if they had been to any one of a series of cultural events in the previous 12 months. The British scored higher than the French, Germans and Italians in every category except sport. More than 60% of Britons said they were film-goers, compared with only 52% in the land of Renoir, Godard and Truffaut, and 49% of Britons claimed to have been to a library, compared with 27% in the homeland of Goethe. And almost a third of Britons claimed to have been to a gallery or museum, compared with barely 20% of Italians.

Italy's relatively low "cultural consumption" is a source of growing concern in a country that is renowned for its artistic riches. Guido Venturini, director general of the Touring Club Italiano, which carried out the survey, told the magazine Il Venerdi: "We are sitting in the most beautiful country in the world, but the Italians appear to be wholly unaware of it." Part of the problem is that Italy's stagnant economy has prompted the government to cut the budget of its culture ministry as well as to slash allocations to local authorities, which are responsible for many of festivals, libraries, museums and galleries. But it is also true that contemporary Italy's artistic output is modest.
Trust the Guardian to claim that lack of government spending is at the root of the problem. They don't mention that the UK's heritage organisations are almost entirely funded by public donation and subscription...

Antonio Paolucci, Florence's top arts official, said: "The next Michelangelo, if there ever is one, will certainly not be born in Italy, but rather China, or the US, or Brazil." Or perhaps even Basingstoke.
Posted by:Bulldog

#10  LOL! Love it BE!
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-19 7:29:28 PM  

#9  BE: Send some pictures to art galleries in NY, you'll be getting letters back with offers to buy your kids work within a month.
Posted by: Charles   2005-02-19 6:35:41 PM  

#8  Shipman : I am already way ahead of you on that!



Artist : BigEric (age 4), son of BigEd
Title : Dinothunder
Media : Chalk on Concrete offset by Cat Dish!
Posted by: BigEd   2005-02-19 4:42:37 PM  

#7  Official: Britons are most cultured Europeans

I'm sure the Phrench will have something to say about this.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-02-19 3:30:00 PM  

#6  I think it's kinda derivative BE. Let the kid develope his own art.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-02-19 3:17:36 PM  

#5  Watch out. The EU may have to start a program forcing Brits to become less cultured or at least to spend more of their money on continental cultural items such as German comedy and Italian drama, French golf or Spanish philosophers.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-02-19 3:14:27 PM  

#4  Don't put it past my "Mini-Me"!

He has been known to climb up a bookshelf and sit on top. Ceiling? No problem!
Posted by: BigEd   2005-02-19 2:45:57 PM  

#3  Hey BigEd: sure, but can he build it on the ceiling ?
Posted by: Carl in N.H.   2005-02-19 2:29:18 PM  

#2  Yeah, like it matters when half the population have teeth that could stop a fuckin' clock.

Let the flamewar begin!
Posted by: Raj   2005-02-19 12:42:47 PM  

#1  Antonio Paolucci, Florence’s top arts official, said: "The next Michelangelo, if there ever is one, will certainly not be born in Italy, but rather China, or the US, or Brazil." Or perhaps even Basingstoke.

Artist : BigEric (age 4), son of BigEd
Title : Velociraptor
Media : Lego

Posted by: BigEd   2005-02-19 12:42:30 PM  

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