Many people believe that art is something which only a few people are interested in, and that because of this the government should not spend public money on it. However, while this may be true to some extent, nonetheless, the arts play a significant role in public life. I firmly believe that the government should support the arts. There are two main reasons why I think so.

First, the arts provide employment to lots of people who have highly specialized skills. Actors, dancers, musicians and theatre and film technicians, for example, often have highly developed skills which take years of training to develop. However, without state support, the institutions where such people train will not survive, and the people who work in those institutions will also be out of work. Also, opera houses and theatres which receive state funding employ many people, not only in the big cities, but also when they tour outside the cities.

Second, some people think that the government should only spend money on things which benefit the whole of society, such as education, health and defense. Although the benefits of spending on the arts may be difficult to measure, that doesn’t mean that there are no tangible benefits for the nation as a whole. Take my country (UK) for example. The theatre industry in London is world famous and millions of tourists go to see a musical or visit museums when they come to London. This kind of tourist attraction brings in revenue for the state. Without initial government funding, many of the sights the tourists come to see would never have been created.

To summarize, it is my opinion that the arts are important for everyone, and the benefits of the state supporting them far outweigh the costs.