GP essay question guide
Is art still valuable if it does not make money?
Separate what art is worth from what it earns. A strong answer names several kinds of value, tests each with a case, and then asks who pays to keep valuable art alive.
Unpack this question first: 'Valuable' is a value word: name the kinds of value first, such as emotional, social and economic, then test art against each. 'Still' hints that some people now judge art only by money. Lesson: Abstract and values questions
Use this question in writing - Sign in, check the question, then write your response.
Topics: Arts and Humanities, Society and Culture, Economics
Three argument directions
Value beyond price
Art can comfort, connect and give people words for feelings, benefits that no ticket price measures.
Qualification: These benefits are real but hard to prove, which makes them easy to cut in a tight budget.
Public and shared value
Arts programmes can build confidence in young people and bring neighbours together.
Qualification: Effects vary with the programme, and not every project delivers them.
Money keeps art alive
Without income, artists leave and some traditional forms fade.
Qualification: That shows art needs support, not that its value depends on profit.
A model paragraph
Our own paragraph for this question. Copy its moves, not its words.
Art keeps its value when it does not make money, because its main worth lies in what it does for people, not in what it earns. A community choir may never sell a ticket, yet it gives older residents a reason to meet each week and helps them feel less alone. A poem about a parent's death may sell few copies but help a grieving reader put a feeling into words. These are real benefits that a price does not measure. Still, money is not irrelevant. Without income, artists must take other jobs, and some traditional forms struggle to find young people who can afford years of training. Art's value does not depend on profit, then, but its survival often depends on someone paying: audiences, patrons or the public.
How it is built
- Criterion: separate value from earnings.
- Cases: a choir and a poem show value without profit.
- Limit and judgement: survival still needs money, which is a different claim from value.
Six examples to compare
SG Culture Pass Expands Arts Access
Singapore used consumer credits to lower barriers to local arts and heritage while supporting cultural producers.
Possible essay use
From 1 September 2025, eligible Singapore Citizens aged 18 and above received S$100 in credits for local arts and heritage activities.
Limitation
Registration and stated interest do not by themselves prove sustained cultural participation or long-term support for every arts group.
Case or source date: 2025-09-01
Our SG Arts Plan Links Creativity, Connection, and Careers
Our SG Arts Plan 2023-2027 sets priorities around a connected society, a creative economy, and a distinctive city.
Possible essay use
Our SG Arts Plan 2023-2027 sets priorities around a connected society, a creative economy, and a distinctive city.
Limitation
A strategic plan states desired outcomes but cannot show whether funding reaches diverse practitioners or creates durable participation.
Case or source date: 2023-09-05
Source: National Arts Council Singapore
Singapore Studies What Arts Programmes Do for Adolescents
A new local study will test whether arts programmes build creativity and social-emotional development, moving the debate beyond grades.
Possible essay use
Singapore announced that NIE, the National Arts Council, and Esplanade will study how arts programmes affect adolescents' creativity and social-emotional development.
Limitation
the study has been announced but has not yet produced findings, so it cannot be used as evidence that every arts programme improves student outcomes
Case or source date: 2026-03-03
Traditional Arts: Heritage or History?
Traditional arts face modern pressures. Are they vital for cultural identity or just nostalgic items in our globalised world?
Possible essay use
From 1991 Kelantan's PAS-led state government restricted traditional performing arts, including wayang kulit, as un-Islamic.
Limitation
This is one region and one organisation; how many young people now perform wayang kulit is not well measured, so claims of a full revival go beyond the evidence.
Case or source date: 2002-01-01
Source: Roads and Kingdoms
Digital Platforms: Remaking Creative Worlds
Digital platforms like Spotify and Netflix are changing how we create and consume music, film, and books, affecting artists' pay and what content we discover.
Possible essay use
Spotify reports paying more than US$9 billion to the music industry in 2023 and more than US$10 billion in 2024.
Limitation
The payout figures come from Spotify's own report; they count money paid to rights holders, not what reaches artists after label and publisher deals.
Case or source date: 2025-03-12
Source: Music Week
Streaming: Reshaping Global Media
Streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify are revolutionizing media creation, distribution, and consumption, impacting artists and traditional industry structures worldwide.
Possible essay use
Netflix's cash payments for content were about US$17.5 billion in 2021, up 39% from 2020.
Limitation
Spending figures come from the company's own filings and say nothing about whether the shows were good or profitable; Squid Game's viewing record was also measured by Netflix itself.
Case or source date: 2021-12-31
Source: Netflix (SEC filing)