Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and that this money could be better spend elsewhere. To what extent do you agree with this view?

A lot of people cannot grasp the meaning of art for the society, therefore they consider it not to be extremely important. Having contemplated all pros and cons of spending money on the arts for a while, I have deduced that it is doubtedly a waste of the country's budget. First of all, art is a vital part of children’s development. It helps to think out of the box and I consider this skill to be of high importance nowadays. In Ukraine most teachers think that Maths is the most essential subject. However, art classes broaden children’s minds as much as Maths does. It can take us to different eras, countries, realities, therefore it can teach us history, culture, and to think creatively. Secondly, art develops the economy. I am a fan of TED Talks and I have listened to the podcast about creative industries in Ethiopia recently. A woman from the podcast, who is an Ethiopian-American film producer and writer, narrated her life story and said that creative industries help the economy thrive. It provides society with a myriad of workplaces that is essential even in well-developed countries. Also it gives people a lot of life-changing opportunities. That woman said that a great deal of new businessmen account for those employees that started in creative industries. This results in opening even more workplaces. In addition, these down-to-earth humans, who suggest that the government should not spend money on the arts, should unquestionably read “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt. This book, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2014, tells us about the strong bond between person and art. A boy Teodor and a masterpiece by Fabricius are in the centre of the plot and the author shows us how one painting can bring us back to life. All in all, the government should certainly continue to invest money in the art industry and the society should not underestimate the value and power of art. As one Latin philosopher said: “Ars longa, vita brevis”, that can be translated as “Art is long, life is short. ”