Funding the arts - how much should come from taxpayers? #BBCNolan

The Chief Executive of The MAC theatre in Belfast has questioned why the arts in Northern Ireland receive less funding than in other parts of the United Kingdom. Ann McReynolds was speaking ahead of the first of a series of Question Time-type debates involving members of the main political parties to be held at the theatre tonight. Last month the Queens Festival lost its funding from Queen's University and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland released details of how it will implement the 11.2% cut to funding passed on to it as part of the Northern Ireland Executive's 2015/16 budget. So should we be looking to investing more money into arts rather than making cut backs? And how much money should be coming from tax payers? Joel was joined by commentators Brendan Mulgrew, Malachi O'Doherty, David Vance and we took your calls