Arts world must address lack of diversity, says Labour’s Chris Bryant

Shadow culture minister calls for fewer Eddie Redmaynes and James Blunts and more Albert Finneys and Glenda Jacksons

The arts world must address the dominance of performers like Eddie Redmayne, James Blunt and their ilk who come from privileged backgrounds, according to Labour’s new shadow culture minister.

In his first interview in the job, Chris Bryant said one of his priorities if he became a minister would be to encourage diversity and fairer funding in the arts. In particular, he suggested that Labour would try to address a “cultural drought” afflicting areas outside London and the south-east because of lower funding, as well as encouraging the arts world to hire people from a variety of backgrounds.

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