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It's time for a rethink on the fourth plinth, says Mayor's new culture and arts director
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent14.05.08
Boris Johnson's new culture director today attacked the politically correct "box-ticking" approach to the arts in London.
In her first interview since being appointed, Munira Mirza - who has already criticised the Trafalgar Square fourth plinth project - also told the Evening Standard she would "review everything".
The 30-year-old Muslim arts commentator has been scathing about Labour's attempts to increase "access" to the arts and projects which give help specifically to Asians, as well as the approach to arts funding and management.
She said her appointment was "a really exciting opportunity for me to put into practice lots of things I've been talking about in the past few years.
"I've argued for a much less instrumentalist politicised approach, freeing up the arts and enabling them to deliver high-quality projects," said Ms Mirza.
"There are people working in arts organisations who feel that in recent years there has been a sacrifice of quality and excellence in favour of ticking the right boxes and using the right buzz words because that's what their masters tell them.
"There is a tendency for governments and politicians to place burdens on them."
Ms Mirza, who will take up her post next month, said she would review two of Ken Livingstone's main cultural policies - the fourth plinth and his free festivals programme.
"No decisions have been made yet," she said. "Because I haven't started, I can't say. We will review everything."
The empty plinth has been occupied by a string of different art works in recent years after the former mayor decided against installing a single sculpture. In March, Mr Johnson gave his backing to a campaign for a permanent memorial to Battle of Britain hero Sir Keith Park.
Ms Mirza expressed her own reservations about the fourth plinth project in an article in which she described Marc Quinn's statue of disabled artist Alison Lapper pregnant as "preachy" and more elitist than the military statues around it.
The Oxford University graduate also triggered controversy with a report on the "paradox of multiculturalism" about British Muslims.
On London's festivals, she appears more committed than Mr Johnson, who suggested he would keep them if private sponsorship could be found.
Ms Mirza said: "The events programme in London has been very successful and we would like to continue to organise big public events."
In keeping with Mr Johnson's wooing of the suburbs, she promised to make sure that the capital's outer boroughs benefit from as much high-quality culture as the residents of central London. She said: "What [Boris] started in his campaign was about really going into the outer boroughs and enabling and enriching provision for all sorts of things out there. Arts and culture are part of that. London centre has a wealth of creative activity but there are parts of London where there isn't a cinema or where library provision is quite weak."
Mr Johnson laid out no other cultural policies in his mayoral campaign.
Ms Mirza said the importance of the creative industries in the capital was evident, adding: "[Boris] does care about the arts. He has a very strong commitment to high quality."
Since graduating in 1999, Ms Mirza worked for a range of think tank and charity organisations, including the Royal Society of Arts and the independent think tank Policy Exchange. She has taught at the University of Kent and University of East London. In 2004 she completed her MA in Social Research and is working on a PhD at the University of Kent, examining developments in UK cultural policy and multiculturalism.
She previously sat on the Tories' independent taskforce on the arts under the leadership of Sir John Tusa.
It recommended radical changes to the powers of the Arts Council and the funding of Britain's national arts bodies, although none of these ideas has yet been formally adopted by the Conservatives.
Reader views (25)
Yes, let's have an end to the "box ticking" and silly plot lines in the Archers. Just commission a statue of Tim Berners-Lee for the fourth plinth. I'm *almost* surprised that none of the over-paid numpties that regulate state culture have managed to work out on their own that Berners-Lee's invention is of such momentous global significance that to not honour him in this way will be looked back on in derision and disbelief.
- Eddie Duggan, Ipswich
I agree with every word said by Peter Vacher on your website - Sir Keith Park made a massive difference to the outcome of the Second World War, and deserves some recognition at long last. Some modern statue with an 'arty concept' could no doubt never have even been considered for a plinth had Sir Keith Park not been such a tremendous leader, so different would have been our way of life now - we would never have had such freedom if we had been invaded by Hitler.
- Carol Turnham, Gloucestershire
Can't think of anyone more of the people than Alison Lapper. It struck me that her statue was the one down to earth piece put on the fourth plinth. Personally I think its a good idea to keep changing it...and I guess I'll accept that for at least four years it'll be informed by a rightist agenda. But please, not more war 'heroes'.
- Carl Reynolds, Peckham
I remember walking past the Alison Lapper statue and wondering what the hell it was and also thinking it was a bit rubbish. We should have statues of things which mean something to British people and I mean normal working class people and notmembers of the art world. These statues should be for sharing and appeal to everyone.
- Lb, London
That Alison Lapper statue was a bloody disgrace! Anyone can have a baby but not everyone is a war hero who has served this nation, Ken wanted 'non elitist' statues who ordinary Londoners could recognize, so what’s the Alison Lapper statue about then? Only those Londoners in the high brow liberal arty farty elitist London art scene would know who she was and probably says much about how out of touch Ken was with the real Londoners of the suburbs than anything else. I feel that the Sir Keith Park idea is great, he is an unsung hero of the war, like so many others in London, and is there for un-political. (Though I can already hear the cries of 'militaristic baby killer' from the usual leftist sandal wearing goatee beard sporting pompous loons in the London art set) My only concern about the Keith Park thing is that it was meant to be an equestrian statue, I wonder if the man himself could ride a horse, never the less Keith Park is the best idea I’ve herd so far.
- Oliver Peeke, Lincoln
Sir Keith Park must certainly be a strong claimant to be on the fourth plinth. Although there are better known military commanders from the Second World War, Sir Keith's brilliant leadership of the RAF in south-eastern England as chief of 11 Group, Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain certainly deterred Hitler's invasion intentions. For London in particular we owe much of our subsequent freedom to Sir Keith. His statute in Trafalgar Square would also provide recognition of the pilot's who served under him, many of whom gave their lives in defence of our capital.
- Peter Vacher, Didcot, Oxon
It's good to see the appointment of someone who will question the dreary tick-box culture which is being applied to arts and education and also the hollow credo of 'diversity' and 'multiculturalism'. While these words sound fantastic and open minded, they end up becoming hollow, bureaucratised and wholly authoritarian. Mirza sounds like a breath of fresh air and hopefully one that will blow out the cultural bureaucrats that are stifling culture in the capital.
- Andrew, South Lambeth
Trafalgar Square is there to honour our military heroes, not to showcase art of highly varying quality.
We have no statue there honouring the RAF and the statues are funded by public subscription. The Sir Keith Park campaign is ready to pay for his statue on the fourth plinth and it is right that the man who saved London should be immortalised there.
There are plenty of art galleries where you can see the displays of worthy artists. But none of them are as worthy of the fourth plinth as our military heroes, especially Sir Keith Park.
- Matthew Knowles, South Ockendon, United Kingdom
I understood that Boris Johnson supported a statue of Sir Keith Park being placed on the fourth plinth. Could Boris be approached to ascertain whether or not he intends to renege on this....?
- Lindsay Ferguson, Wellington, New Zealand
Surely the Fourth Plinth is merely waiting respectfully, and in due time, for a vast bronze effigy of HM Queen - almost certain to be the longest reigning monarch in our history, and sober president over the most enormous transformations and mutations in world and national order.
- Markc, Wandsworth
Trafalgar Square celebrates this country's survival in the face of tyranny. Nelson successfully defended our country early in the 19th century. Just over a hundred years later Sir Keith Park emulated this tremendous feat by defending London and country from the threat of invasion by Hitler. If the battle of Briton had been lost we might all be speaking German a little better. The fourth plinth is a worthy site for a statue of Sir Keith Park. There are many alternative sites for contemporary art, paid for by us, the tax payer.
- Paul Smith, London, England
A breath of fresh air hopefully with a sense of history and tradition and achievement.
- Rodney Park, Rotorua,NZ
I certainly do hope that Ms Mirza shakes things up and stops the cultural left from making what should be great and enjoyable public arts projects from being straitjacketed into the stifling strictures of the 'learning outcomes' posse.
- Andrew Hirst, London
Fully agree with arts to the suburbs bit and regarding the plinth in Trafalgar Sq,
as so many statues great Brits around there I feel a statue of Richard Barnbrook would not be out of place.
- Tony Winchester, Southend G.B.
Although it will not seem a whizzy point of view (and probably not politically correct) I think it is a point of Honour to recognise those who sacrificed so much for the Country. Recent generations have been so fortunate in not having experienced military conflict in W. Europe but we should recognise our good fortune, in this case by commemorating Sir Keith Park on the 4th plinth
- David Starkie, London, Vauxhall
About time too. The stuff on the plinth has been uninspired to say the least - merely straining to be modern.
As for the "free" events they are nothing of a sort: they are paid for by all of us, but are very much for minorities. They are not vital for the tourist industry. People do not come here for "free" events but for London in general.
- Michael Corby, London
There's plenty of great places for modern art in London - but most of them have looked ridiculous on the fourth plinth. 'Here, here!' to a Keith Park memorial - he was as bigger hero as Nelson and Trafalgar's a centre for military greats. Come on, Boris, time for you to live up to some of your manifesto pledges.
- John, Bethnal Green
Why only the fourth plinth?
Why not move the other three sculptures (say to Whitehall, Parliament Square or the grounds of the Imperial War Museum - possibly the most apt site) and rotate new and innovative sculptures on all four?
- Bob Taylor, London, U.K.
I like the idea of free festivals as long as they are not ethnic based. I'm fed up of having the apparent benefits of a multicultural London being rammed down my throat day after day.
The purpose of Trafalgar Saquare is to celebrate Great British heroes and I hope that it is kept that way with the use of the 4th plinth.
- Lawrence Dimery, London, UK
I would like to see an equestrian statue of Her Majesty the Queen on the fourth plinth. After all she is the longest serving of all our monarchs and yet, as far as I know, there is no statue of her for future generations to admire.
- Adrian Gilbert, Tonbridge
Oh goody.. another professional ethnic to tell us what we need to brighten up our sad.. boring.. previously harmonious country.
- Bobby, Marylebone
What we really, really need on the fourth plinth is a giant naked statue of Boris without any arms or legs.
- John, London
Mark, Londoners were ripped off for Ken's vanity festivals for years; and there was absolutely no need for the Met Police to sling over £25,000 at gay carnivals.
I'd disagree that free festivals by themselves brought any tourists to London, but would support them if they were backed by commercial sponsorship.
I would like to see eco-friendly Boris cut out the £300,000 or so worth of fireworks Green Ken loved to let off on New Years Eve, at the Thames Festival etc.
- Brian, London
How refreshing to see someone who actually believes in excellence get such a high profile position in the arts and culture sector. Bring on the Ms. Mirza's and scrap the tick box mentality, I say!
- Dr Caspar Hewett, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
I certainly hope that Ms Mirza doesn't make many sweeping changes - the idea of rotational sculpture on the fourth plinth is fantastic, and brings a wonderfully contemporary aspect to Trafalgar Square.
The free festivals programme is vital for London's tourist industry, providing entertainment to both international tourists, and visitors to the city from the UK. There always seems to be something going on in town, and something fun - and free - to take the kids to - this is what makes London a great place to live in. I sincerely hope that the programme of events in the city continues.
- Mark, Vauxhall
