麻豆社

Good morning.

Cinemas across the country are reeling from the news that James Bond will not be returning to the big screens in November as they were expecting. In fact, so many potentially blockbuster films have delayed their release dates that some in the industry now wonder whether the soundtrack they can hear all too clearly is the death knell of movie going.

Cinemas are not the only ones to be suffering. Many theatres have given up hope of a panto season this year, music venues are at risk of closing for good, and even the Royal Opera House is looking to sell a treasured Hockney painting simply to stay afloat. All have fallen prey to the pandemic.

Culture and entertainment have played an important role when it comes to identity and belonging for millennia. In one of his compositions, Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, said 鈥淭he world is a drama, staged in a dream. In a moment, the play is played out鈥�. It鈥檚 worth noting that this analogy of human existence was written at least half a century before Shakespeare wrote his famous line in As You Like It - 鈥淎ll the world鈥檚 a stage鈥�.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the 10th Sikh Guru was renowned for being a strong patron of the arts. He maintained a court along similar lines to the kings and emperors of the subcontinent, and he ensured that poets, musicians and scribes amongst many others were given the opportunity to hone and perfect their skills under his patronage. He called them the 鈥榞ems鈥� of his court, and he understood how such cultural activities could help strengthen a community鈥檚 unique identity, especially during times of adversity.

After his passing, similar forms of patronage were kept alive by several Sikh merchants and military leaders, and had its heyday during the Sikh Empire in the 19th century. It extended to include architecture, paintings, metalwork and textiles. During this period the central Sikh shrine of the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar came to be covered in gold plates with intricate designs resulting in its popular nickname of the Golden Temple.

The arts, culture and heritage of the Sikh community is still deeply influenced by this period of history, in much the same way as the classical arts from ancient Greece and Rome continue to impact upon Europe and elsewhere. However, none of it could have thrived or even survived without the patronage and support of others.

At a time when Britain鈥檚 beloved cultural venues and institutions are all under threat, I believe it would do us well to treat them as the gems they are. For if they do disappear, unlike 007, we may never be able to say never again.

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