Great art for everyone? Engagement and participation policy in the arts

New Labour began its administration with a commitment to bring democracy to culture. However, a decade later the Arts Council England (ACE)'s mission statement of "Great art for everyone" suggested a continued emphasis on access to mainstream culture rather than on cultural democracy. The argument in this paper is that Labour's vision has resulted in little change to the basis upon which arts institutions receive regular funding, or the social composition of those who participate in the arts in Britain today - who remain predominantly white and middle class. Public consultation through The arts debate provides evidence that the arts are still perceived as elitist, and policy too insular and self-reflective. The report clearly identified the public's desire for not only greater transparency in decisionmaking processes but also involvement in the decisions themselves, in order to democratise the arts. This paper draws on research investigating the extent to which participatory decisionmaking schemes affect cultural democracy and the subsequent impact on artistic policy and practice. In addition to documentary analysis, this study involved interviews with policymakers, practitioners and the public, focusing on two projects using participatory decision-making in England. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Chemical Basis of Interactions Between Engineered Nanoparticles and Biological Systems

A recently reported incident of severe pulmonary fibrosis caused by inhaled polymer nanoparticles in seven female workers obtained much attention. In addition to the release of ENM waste from industrial sites, a major release of ENMs to environmental water occurs due to home and personal use of appliances, cosmetics, and personal products, such as shampoo and sunscreen. Airborne and aqueous ENMs pose immediate danger to the human respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. ENMs may enter other human organs after they are absorbed into the bloodstream through the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. Practically, a thorough understanding of the fundamental chemical interactions between nanoparticles and biological systems has two direct impacts. First, this knowledge will encourage and assist experimental approaches to chemically modify nanoparticle surfaces for various industrial or medicinal applications