The Sound of Music

We do welcome such enthusiasm over the writing classes! This interest in writing is community art at its best—art that serves the community, rather than the elitist posture of using taxpayers’ money just to offend people or groups. And as an extra incen-tive, I’d like to announce that the best writing will be published alongside a forthcoming exhibition of outsider art in Manches-ter. This is all part of a grand festival of Public Art we’re organizing that’s promoting the values of Britishness against our de-tractors. Among other exciting things, there’s the new version of The Sound of Music, sponsored by OfTru as part of the cam-paign to counter the growth of extremism in minority communities. It’s a huge singalong, Bollywood-style extravaganza, set in Afghanistan with the Taliban banning music and a family of singers escaping to the musical West and freedom.