REALITY CHECK Is this then happening in the 150 countries that have ratified the UNESCO Convention? Not really! The UNESCO Global Report from 202211 sums it up: “With a few exceptions, over the last decade public investment in culture has been steadily decreasing, and this has had a strong impact on the resilience and sustainability of the cultural and creative sectors – particularly in times of crisis”. “Although there is a relatively high number of education and training programmes in culture and creativity, there remain strong disparities among regions and in the cultural fields covered – especially in digital skills and cultural management.” “While the creation of decent economic opportunities for artists and cultural professionals has been a growing concern, the pre-existing vulnerabilities amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic call for a better recognition of the specific needs of artists and cultural professionals (including social security and wellbeing).” 11 16 https://en.unesco.org/creativity/publications/2022-global-report-reshaping-policies-creativity