THE BRIT BOOM

UK culture is having a moment. Can it be protected from global conglomerates?

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ON THE FACE OF IT, British culture looks doomed. Our music industry is now borderline untenable, with grassroots venues closing at speed and artists unable to afford to play the few that are left; touring has become a loss leader that even established acts must subsidise with other work. Meanwhile, streaming has gutted the value of recorded music, leading to industry contraction at the highest level: earlier this year the UK divisions of Warners and Atlantic-two of our biggest record labels - were effectively subsumed into the US business.

In comedy, the Edinburgh fringe - the crucible of modern British standup, sketch and sitcom - is in existential crisis thanks to a dearth of sponsorship and prohibitively high costs for performers. Our film industry is at this point almost totally reliant on (dwindling) US funds; while Britain remains a popular filming destination due to tax breaks and appealing locations, the vast majority of the productions made here ultimately generate American profits.

As the BBC, bedrock of British cultural life, lurches from crisis to crisis, the TV industry at large has been ruinously compromised by broadcasters' inability to pay for programming due to advertising cuts and ballooning costs. Like film, it has become dependent on international investment - to the extent that many are concerned that we've lost the ability to make programmes exclusively for British audiences.

Shows that cannot attract foreign money rely on goodwill, with directors, writers and stars of flagship dramas taking significant pay cuts just to get them made (see: the second instalment of the double-Bafta-winning Wolf Hall).