Today, 23 March 2016, the Department for Culture Media & Sport have launched the first White Paper for culture for more than 50 years.

Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, launched the paper at an event in the Southbank Centre, London along with Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of Arts Council England; Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre.

The Culture White Paper sets out the government’s vision, strategy and proposals for the cultural sectors (the arts, museums and galleries, libraries, archives and heritage). It outlines the key issues facing the cultural sectors today and the role we want culture to play in our society; what the government and our public public bodies will do to address those issues; and how we will ensure that everyone can enjoy and benefit from culture.

Voluntary Arts are among the 232 arts organisations to have taken part in various consultations, round tables and discussions during the drafting of the White Paper to inform the government's plans for supporting the voluntary arts sector and creative citizens across the UK.

The Culture White Paper is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/culture-white-paper