Samuel West interview: The actor and director on austerity, unionisation, and not mentioning his famous parents

The arts aren't an add-on We have a real problem with the double squeeze of Arts Council cuts and local authority cuts. Ultimately the problems in today's society – truancy, crime, ill health, fundamentalism – are things that a well-funded arts sector can be part of a solution to. How is it possible to become a fundamentalist? By not seeing things from another's point of view. Well, that's what art lets you do.

Culture is an essential part of what it is to be human It teaches us empathy. It gives us a love of ideas. If that's "art for art's sake", I nail my colours to that mast. When a government is committed to shrinking the state, you have to use other arguments. If you want UK plc to be popular, you have to realise that a moribund high street can be rescued by an arts centre or gallery.

Don't tell me austerity is inevitable I chair the National Campaign for the Arts, campaigning for an increase in arts funding. Everyone says, "Don't be ridiculous, there's no money left." Well, there is money left, actually. Sweden has increased its proportion of public spending on the arts every year since 2008. Call these things "difficult choices", but the important word in that phrase is "choices".

There shouldn't be a bottom line There are things that are worth it despite not being profitable. Most people would include healthcare and education; I would include affordable access to the arts.

Inequality is growing It's partly because the unions aren't as strong, and that's because the media is overwhelmingly conservative and anti-union. When I'm directing, I try to make sure my cast is fully unionised: the only workplace where the boss insists that the workers join the union… There has been an amazing swing of power back to the employers. It has to change. It would be nice if it didn't change violently, but perhaps it will have to. I can't imagine the status quo carrying on for much longer; they are just taking the piss, frankly.

Inequality is bad for the rich as well It doesn't lead to happiness. It leads to insecurity, to isolation – a bizarre, monorail existence where you hover over the world. You look down on it, but you can never actually take part.

I tried not to mention my parents in the first 15 years of my career I didn't want to work with people who only took me on because of who my parents are.

There's a new joy in acting now that I'm also a director I love the bits that aren't my responsibility. When you're directing, almost everything stops with you. I remember when I was doing Enron, saying to [the director] Rupert Goold, "Gosh, this is a really difficult scene change…" And then, "Bye! I'm going home now!" That was such a pleasure. My job is simply to get into the shoes of a character, and that's quite enough.

I would certainly like to run a theatre again before I die Being artistic director of Sheffield Theatres was the hardest thing I'd ever done. Most of the pleasure came in retrospect, as with most difficult things. I'd never tried to be a good manager before – and I'm not sure I was, really.

Actor and director Samuel West, 48, the son of Tim West and Prunella Scales, has starred in plays including 'Hamlet', 'Arcadia', 'Enron' and 'Betrayal', and was artistic director of Sheffield Theatres from 2005 to 2007. His films include 'Howards End'. He lives in north London with the playwright Laura Wade and their daughter. West directs 'After Electra' at the Tricycle, London NW6, to 2 May, and appears in series three of 'Mr Selfridge', out on DVD now