As we head towards the half mark for 2016 many of us are wondering what the remainder of this year has in store for us. So far we have had protests, transport disruptions, increased crime and violence, rising cost of everything. What can we look forward to? Escalation of all of the above?
What can we do if we want to break this cycle of rising costs, crime and violence?
It seems so easy on the face of it. Do not raise costs by more than is necessary – cut costs and overheads. Is everybody doing this? No. Many businesses, not all, seem to feel it is a wonderful opportunity to make a bigger profit and at the same time attempt to persuade you that they are cutting costs so that you the customer will benefit.
But what does this have to do with arts and culture? Culture is the way we lead our lives and how we interact with each other – face to face or in cyber space. So in our artistic lives let us create work that uplifts, that encourages people to turn away from acquiring more and more material possessions and support the development of the mind and body through training establishments. Training is a long term answer to many of societal ailments. A through training provides discipline, the opportunity to acquire work and self respect and a means to support themselves and their families.