British Art World Protests Council's Proposal

LONDON—More than 100 representatives of the British art world, from stars Lucian Freud, Gilbert and George, Damien Hirst, and Anish Kapoor to Tate director Nicholas Serota, have signed a letter to the Guardian protesting as yet unannounced changes to the procedures of the British Council, reports the paper.

Little is known about the Council's proposed adjustments, except that they are said to amount to a "radical shakeup in the way it delivers arts abroad," writes the Guardian, and will do away with longstanding arts departments such as visual arts, theater, film, and dance.

The letter expresses concern at the "demise" of the Council's "internationally acclaimed visual arts department." While sculptor Bill Woodrow told the paper, "If it's about multidisciplinary work I squirm a little, because that usually means a dilution of things."

Venu Dhupa, the Council's director of arts and the plan's architect, told the Guardian, "What I'm trying to do...is [make] sure the arts are a strategic transformational force, because that's when they are at their most powerful" and said that she was mystified that artists could object to plans they knew nothing about. She added, "To the outside world the process will be seamless."