Right now is a good time to look back at the arts role in our society. The state, church, nobility, bourgeoisie and individuals have perceived and used the arts for different purposes.

When there have been attempts to control them through laws, censorship or regulations, the arts have always taken their own path. When civilisations have fallen apart, societies been torn by war or in other extreme circumstances, the arts have always lived on.

The arts are universal and exist in all human contexts. No society can survive without them as they are deeply rooted within us all. People who claim otherwise are wrong.

The arts may be considered to be tangible, but experiencing them is intangible, and can be understood and considered very differently from person to person.

The entire human register of emotions exists in the arts and we all have different attitudes towards them.

I love the arts because

1. They can represent beauty

2. They can encourage change

3. They help me understand life

4. They give me peace when life is stressful

5. They inspire me to think

6. They make me realise there are things I will never understand

7. They help me find solutions in deadlocked situations

8. They teach me things that have happened before

9. They show how special life is and that it should not be wasted

10. They show how wonderful it is to love and be loved

11. They inspire generosity over jealousy

12. They show problems can be solved

13. They can create confidence out of insecurity

14. They inspire the imagination

15. They can show how simplicity can be beautiful

16. They make me value nostalgia

17. They capture a moment in time that everyone can recognise

18. They can change a negative into a positive

19. They remind us not to give in to evil

20. They inspire me to try new things

21. They encourage me to travel

22. They allow me to express my opinion regardless of quality

23. They bring people together

24. They make me laugh at life’s craziness and absurdities

25. They can leave me speechless