If Britain looked anew, it could learn so much about the arts from Africa | Afua Hirsch

The UK cultural sector, so obsessed with being world leading', is standing on the brink. It needs to broaden its gaze

It's a painful time to tell stories about the arts. This week, hundreds of venues across the UK were lit up in red - not in an inspired display of creativity, but as a cry for help as arts venues find themselves on the brink of collapse.

The protest culminated in the iconic chimney at London's Tate Modern art gallery being made bright red, and illuminated with the words Throw Us a Line" - a reference to the 1m jobs at risk in the live events sector following the Covid-19 pandemic and shutdown. A report from the digital, culture, media and sport select committee warned last month that the UK now faces the prospect of becoming a cultural wasteland".