Academy of Ideas
Academy of Ideas
#BattleFest2018: Do the right thing? The moral responsibility of the artist
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#BattleFest2018: Do the right thing? The moral responsibility of the artist

Recording of a debate at the Battle of Ideas Festival 2018.

‘There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.’ Oscar Wilde’s view of art as essentially an aesthetic pursuit, one concerned with transcendent beauty and the human condition, has arguably now been superseded. But artists are routinely being ‘called out’ if their work represents minority groups in a light that is perceived as negative. The Globe’s new director, Michelle Terry, has been applauded for using blind casting to combat alleged inequality in the arts. Should art be judged on whether or not it is sending the right message? What are the implications for artists themselves?

JON BRITTAIN staff writer, Netflix’s The Crown; playwright, Rotterdam; comedy writer; director, Sight Gags for Perverts, Shtick and Don’t Bother, They’re Here

JAMES DREYFUS award winning television, film and theatre actor

MO LOVATT writer and researcher specialising in arts and culture policy; co-chair, The Great Debate

KIMBERLY MCINTOSH policy offcer, The Runnymede Trust and Race on the Agenda; writer, Guardian, gal-dem

CHAIR: ANDREW DOYLE writer and comedian; co-author, Jonathan Pie: Off The Record

Discussion about this podcast

Academy of Ideas
Academy of Ideas
The Academy of Ideas has been organising public debates to challenge contemporary knee-jerk orthodoxies since 2000. Subscribe to our channel for recordings of our live conferences, discussions and salons, and find out more at www.academyofideas.org.uk