'An important message about the arts' - an animated video by artist David Shrigley

For more information about Save the Arts, please visit http://www.savethearts.org.uk.

Over a hundred leading artists including David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Anthony Caro, Howard Hodgkin, Anish Kapoor, Richard Hamilton, Bridget Riley, Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin have joined the campaign to make the case against the proposed 25% cuts in government funding of the arts.

The campaign is launched today with the release of a new video animation by artist David Shrigley highlighting the effect of the funding cuts and a new work by Jeremy Deller with Scott King. Each week the work of a different artist, created in response to the campaign, will be released. Mark Wallinger will present the next project.

Supporters of the artists' campaign will be asked to sign a petition which will be sent to the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt. It points out that it has taken 50 years to create a vibrant arts culture in Britain that is the envy of the world and appeals to the government not to slash arts funding and risk destroying this long-term achievement and the social and economic benefits it brings to all.

The artists acknowledge that reasonable cuts and efficiencies are necessary but they fear that the 25% cuts being proposed will destroy much of what has been achieved and will have a particularly damaging impact on national and regional museums and their collections.

The campaign is being organised by the London branch of a national consortium of over 2,000 arts organisations and artists dedicated to working together and finding new ways to support the arts in the UK.

The costs of David Shrigley's animation have been covered with a grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Robert Dufton, Paul Hamlyn Foundation Director, said: "We are pleased to support this campaign and hope that its message is taken on board. As independent funder of the arts we are aware of the effect that cuts will have on many of the organisations we support. We stand to lose a great deal as a society if arts organisations are forced to stop the very valuable work they do."

• Category

  Film & Animation

[lilyfurryears]

@sylviewren

They took all the trees

Put ' em in a tree museum

And they charged the people

A dollar and half just to see ' em

Don''t it always seem to go

That you don't know what you got till it's gone

[ArtoftheState1]

@irdial Yeah, artists never do anything worthwhile with our money, just taking it from us and using it to form a cultural heritage the envy of most nations... and damn those teachers who steal our money to educate our kids! And those bloody doctors, curing us of our maladies with our own money! Bloody socialists. I mean, they're well intentioned, but stealing is always wrong. Period!

[howell1488]

i like this video but it doesn't scare me too much, art is art it will always exist regardless of money as long as the creative mind does,as for people coming from abroad to view our art.... i couldn't give a toss.

[Andree Christaldi]

Hey you daft twit. If the arts pay more than they receive, wouldn't it be better to end all tax on arts ? Then by your logic they'd be better off financially and tax payers wouldn't have to pay for people todo art. It's a win win situation !

[Noel Rayland]

Top 8 tourist spots are art related? Following "to look at the Queen" and Camden Lock?

[Axel54631]

awsome!!

[Damynine]

FOLLOW THE MATHS OF ART: DAMYAN29 x DAMIEN HIRST = DAMN9 SHIT2Y ERA!

[lovelplants]

cool very interesting.. i laugh at the drawing when the guy forgot his hose.. lol...

[SmallFri1477]

youtube.com/watch?v=wflq238paE­U



[SmallFri1477]

youtube.com/watch?v=wflq238paE­U