Gratia artis
Sir: Is economy with the truth abroad now standard practice? You report (Arts, 10 October) that at the recent conference of arts ministers in Portugal, Richard Luce trumpeted his Business Incentive Scheme and that some European governments are thinking of copying it. Dutch and Danish artists and sponsors would do well to make sure that the 'goal posts' are well ham- mered in before they begin to play!
In August this year the maximum grant for the British scheme was cut back from £25,000 to £5,000. The fund is now ex- hausted, hardly an incentive to new spon- sors. The existing scheme for extensions to existing sponsorship is still limited to £1 for £3.
If the Minister wishes to maintain the momentum of arts sponsorship he should take a leaf from the PM's book and produce a radical incentive to sponsors, not capped or weighted down with regula- tions. That would give a lead worth follow- ing. The present scheme foundered on the innate niggardliness of the present Govern- ment, which cannot distinguish investment in thriving arts organisations from welfare payments.
Peter Hall
National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1
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