A lunchtime fringe event organised by the Arts Council of England had an intriguing title: "Culture or cuppa: for 39p, which do you value more?" It attracted an interesting smattering of regional arts officers, MPs and union officials representing the creative industries, writes Rebecca Smithers
The luvvies in the audience were clearly relieved there was more than just builders' tea in a paper cup to wash down their sandwiches - the red and white wine flowed.
The 100-plus attending were also probably the only ones at the conference fringe to have to have been treated to a burst of live music, in the rather august setting of the stuccoed Royal Bath Hotel.
The three-piece Dynamo's Rhythm Aces have apparently played major events such as Glastonbury and Bestival.
They were well-received with polite applause until the audience started getting twitchy and were keen for the formal business to start.
After all, it's not every day you get the (relatively new) arts minister Margaret Hodge sharing the top table with Nicholas Hytner, the director of the National Theatre.
The 39p figure, of course, is the amount of money contributed towards the arts by every English household through their taxes, which represent the public subsidy.
But, close to the comprehensive spending review and amid concerns about regional arts cash being cut back in favour of spending on the Olympics, there were inevitably concerns about sustaining funding levels for the longer-term.
The questions were friendly, but Hytner's strong message to Hodge was the importance of young people having the opportunity to learn an instrument of their choice.
That was the policy in Venezuela, home of the youth orchestra which had provided one of the most memorable nights of the recent Proms, Hytner said.
He rammed home the point: "If you can't speak the language, you don't take part in a conversation. The best way to get young people to enjoy Mahler is to give them the instruments to play Mahler."
We think Mrs Hodge got the message...
