EU countries ponder massive increase in arts spending

The European Commission's plan to launch the world's largest ever cultural funding programme is to be tested in coming weeks as EU states ponder if they want arts spending to go up 37 percent in the next EU budget.

The 'Creative Europe' proposal, published in late November, would see €1.8 billion from the EU budget allocated for visual and performing arts, film, music, literature and architecture in the 2014-2020 cycle. Brussels estimates that up to 300,000 artists would receive funding...