In a follow up to his 2004 Demos pamphlet Capturing Cultural Value, John Holden explores the relationship between culture, politics and the public in Cultural Value and the Crisis of Legitimacy. Politicians have struggled to understand culture and failed to engage with it effectively. Cultural professionals have focussed on satisfying the policy demands of their funders in an attempt to gain the same unquestioning support for culture that exists for health or education; but the truth is that politicians will never be able to give that support until there exists a more broadly based and better-articulated democratic consensus. The challenge, addressed in John Holden’s pamphlet, is to create a different alignment between culture, politics and the public – one that would require courage, confidence and radicalism on the part of professionals in finding new ways to build greater legitimacy directly with citizens. For more information, CLICK HERE.