In the United Kingdom, for instance, the enthusiasm for creativity merged with New Labour’s efforts to advance a kinder, gentler post-industrial neoliberalism through the promotion of the cultural industries (Hesmondhalgh 2008; McGuigan 2009). Rather than seeking to reverse the decline of the manufacturing sector and undo the cuts to and privatization of government services, the Blair government envisioned the nation’s prosperity as rooted in the production of “intangibles.” While, on the whole, cultural institutions enjoyed little additional funding, new monies were made available for limited individual projects that promised economic and social spin-offs. So, rather than fully fund public education and supplementary programs for youth (school lunch programs, recreation, special needs, remedial education), these new initiatives would bring artists into schools and community centres to offer “at risk” youth a chance to “express themselves.” In many cases, funding for such projects was dependent on finding “third party” and “stakeholder” support, which often meant corporate sponsorship.

Max Haiven, Cultures of Financialization, loc. 460