Arts cuts are like ripping up the Magna Carta  Britain is still
a genuine superpower in the arts, and people should be up in
arms about their devaluation Art gallery closed 'The cuts to the
Arts Council destroys and undersells British culture.'
Photograph: Bob and Roberta Smith Bob and Roberta Smith/Bob and
Roberta Smith  The roots of the Arts Council lie in the War
Artist Scheme (WAS) set up by the Ministry of Information in
1939. Back then, the government commissioned artists to reflect,
not just on "the action", but also the changes the war brought
to our general way of life. The printmaker and painter Eric
Ravillious lost his life doing this job, when he accompanied an
RAF rescue mission that failed to return to its base. Others,
such as Henry Moore, became household names. The paintings and
prints that were amassed in the process were shown to the people
in touring shows: the idea was born that culture could form part
of a conversation about national life. When peace eventually
arrived, this dynamic was