Ten commandments for a superior arts experience

From banning bad music biopics and filming podcasts to making TV shows we can actually see without squinting, Fiona Sturges has devised a new set of rules for 2026

- Fiona Sturges

These are challenging times for the arts and culture. In an era of skyrocketing costs, squeezed budgets and the existential nightmare that is AI, creative types would be forgiven for throwing in the towel and retraining as accountants. But help is at hand! Behold, my 10 commandments to protect and nurture our rich cultural life and get the best out of the arts in 2026.

1. Thou shalt not pay celebrities to 'write' children's books

This isn't about HarperCollins finally giving its cash cow David Walliams the heave-ho - though seriously, guys, what took you so long? It's about the hijacking of children's literature by famouses - Matt Lucas, Keira Knightley, Simon Cowell, Jamie Oliver and Katie Price among them - whose sole qualification for the job appears to be "being on telly". Their substandard literary efforts are a blight on the industry, hoovering up budgets and squeezing out skilled authors for whom writing is a full-time job and not a cynical exercise in brand expansion.

2. Thou shalt invest in some studio lighting

I can't be the only one heartily sick of fiddling with the TV settings so I can see through the murk of the latest prestige drama. Cinematographers! Turn up the lights!

3. Thou shalt stop pretending awards ceremonies make good TV