Paper presented at the Third International Conference on Cultural Economics and Planning held April 25-28, 1984, in Akron, Ohio

. . ., the main conclusions drawn in this paper have related to intervention strategies and to how they tie in with the objectives of support for the arts. Broadly, we have suggested that direct support of artists is appropriate in pursuit of quality rather than quantity objectives of arts policy though there may be non-market demand for increased quantities benefits. Subsidy to firms will give effect to both quantity and quality objectives with the mix depending on characteristics of firms. Untied lump-sum grants to companies may introduce an element of arbitrariness into the pursuit of goals that may need correction over the longer term through greater use of directed assistance to firms and/or through shifting support to other intervention points. Subsidies to consumers may be useful in achieving some quite specific access objectives, but as a general rule the benefits to consumers that flow from support to institutions in all art forms are likely to sufficient to keep them happy. (p. 27-8)

Includes references tables.

[For a comment on this paper, see Intervention Strategies in Arts Markets by Dick Netzer.]