But is it art? Standup comedy and the quest for cultural credibility

Arts Council England (ACE) has recently taken the unprecedented step of including comedy as a form of theatre under the terms of the Culture Recovery Fund, part of the emergency response package to help cultural institutions recover from the blow they have taken during the pandemic. But the council has expressly stated on its website that this was mandated by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and does not mean comedy clubs will be eligible for future ACE funding.