The University of Warwick and the Campaign for the Arts recently published a report, The State of the Arts, a “health check on the UK’s arts and culture”. Among other things, they found that the UK had one of the “lowest levels of government spending on culture among European nations”. They said the news was a “stark warning”.

They are quite right. Funding is low, but not nearly low enough. I went to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and it is clear that too many young people are still being encouraged to follow their dreams. It was my first time at the show, a sprawling advert for the present and future of art in Britain.

The Telegraph London