They was own a small version of the Sundance festival details announced next be presented in April for O2 Arena.
But, unprompted, including The Guardian told reporters from three newspapers:
"Everbody is experiencing this austerity programme around the world, we're seeing it in America – cutbacks, cutbacks that are so severe that you're seeing people demonstrating in the streets.
That's something I wouldn't attack on all fronts, other than in the arts - I think that [cutting arts funding] is a a terrible mistake and I join my colleagues here – Helen Mirren, who I've worked with, Jeremy Irons and others who say you can't cut the arts because it enriches the culture.
There are also many examples where it enriches the economy. Look at the festival. It puts $70m into the local economy. You can't, unless it is an ideological argument, classify the arts as a trivial pursuit. It's not. It brings a lot to society, economically as well and I think that story needs to get out there."