The greatest challenge for all of us in 2007 is clear: to make an unequivocal case for funding the arts so that Government decision-makers are persuaded that delivering an inflation-level increase in this year’s Spending Review makes good sense for the people of this country, for our economy, for the health of the arts themselves, for our identity and for our global reputation as a cultural world leader, especially as we prepare for Liverpool’s status as European Capital of Culture in 2008 and the cultural Olympiad that will play such an important part of the 2012 Olympics.
As everyone knows, this will be a tight spending round, with many competing demands on the exchequer. But we believe that the arts are a Government success story that, with small change from the Treasury - just £12 million extra a year from the total of public expenditure - will continue to deliver big and tangible benefits for communities across the country.
Certainly, the arts have never been in a better place. The 64% real terms increase in funding since 1997 has allowed many arts organisations to return to financial stability, and at the same time funding for individual artists has doubled. Ten years of increased investment has also meant more people are now attending or participating in the arts.
Creative industries in the UK are growing by 6% a year, more than any other sector, and our annual exports in cultural goods amount to £11.6 billion. Many of our most successful creative industries and individuals started out in the subsidised arts, nurturing and developing their talent and ideas with the benefit of Arts Council support. Many of those we fund go on to become the engine of the creative economy. Much of the creative economy continues to depend on its publicly-funded neighbour. We want to continue to be the incubator for creativity in this country, as our economy increasingly depends on innovation and originality to keep us competitieve in the global market. To do this, we need to build on the success of the past 10 years, to maintain and develop the amazing work that is produced by our regularly funded organisations and the many projects and individual artists we support.
So, in line with the upward trend in public engagement with the arts, it’s my ambition to see a firm commitment that the upward graph of financial support over the last ten years will be continued for the next ten years. That is the outcome Arts Council England will be striving hard to achieve over the coming months, and I urge you to join us in this, the greatest challenge for the arts in 2007. An inflation-level increase will make sustainable the gains since 1997.
(based on extracts from his ABO speech on 18 Jan)
Last year the Arts Council celebrated its 60th birthday and now, as we make the case for future funding, it’s clear that the arts today are richer, more exciting and more diverse than at any time in our 60-year history.
Certainly, the arts have never been in a better place. They are one of the Government’s success stories – the 64% real terms increase in funding since 1997 has allowed many arts organisations to return to financial stability, and at the same time funding for individual artists has doubled.
There has been a remarkable renaissance in theatre, boosted by an additional £25 million through the Theatre Review. The eight publicly funded English symphony orchestras have never been in better shape, with an additional £35 million resulting in new artistic partnerships, a wider repertoire, youth choirs, youth orchestras, new education centres, a return to international touring and new ways of distributing their work.
Across the wider cultural sector we see similar success. Seven of the 10 top visitor attractions in the country are publicly funded museums and galleries. Attendances at national museums and galleries are up by 75% as a result of the abolition of museum charges.
Galleries, concert halls, theatres, arts centres and art in the public realm have vastly expanded and deepened artistic opportunity throughout the country.
And this has led to an increased appetite among the public for all kinds of arts experiences. More people now take part in the arts than vote. Research shows that 79% of people in this country are in support of public funding of the arts. 97% of adults in England believe that all schoolchildren should have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument or participate in other arts activities.
So, the demand for the arts is there, fuelled by the greatly increased investment in arts over the past 10 years.
I believe we have two equally important challenges in 2007:
For this to happen, we need to build on the success of the past 10 years. Over the coming months, Arts Council England will strongly be making the case for at least an inflation-level increase in the arts budget, both for the benefit of the public and to maintain this country’s well-earned reputation as a cultural global leader.
It’s up to all of us who are passionate about the arts to play our part in explaining why it’s essential that the arts continue to be funded for success. I look forward to working with you to make it happen.
These word documents can be downloaded here:
For more information about the Government’s Spending Review and making the case for funding the arts for success, please contact our Communications team in your region:
National Office
Kelly Wiffen
Head of Public Affairs
Phone: 020 7973 5297
E:kelly.wiffen@artscouncil.org.uk
National Office
Louise Wylie
Director, Media Relations
Phone: 020 7973 5528
E:louise.wylie@artscouncil.org.uk
East
Aileen Muir
Head of Communications
Phone: 01223 454447
E:aileen.muir@artscouncil.org.uk
East Midlands
Fiona Mitchell-Innes
Head of Communications
Phone: 0115 989 7557
E:fiona.mitchell-innes@artscouncil.org.uk
London
Catriona Macrae-Gibson
Head of Communications
Phone: 020 7608 6147
E:catriona.macrae-gibson@artscouncil.org.uk
North East
Susan McKeon
Head of Communications
Phone: 0191 255 8568
Mobile: 07939 636429
E:susan.mckeon@artscouncil.org.uk
North West
Anthony Preston
Head of Communications
Phone: 0161 827 9254
E:anthony.preston@artscouncil.org.uk
South East
Liz Barling
Communications team
Phone: 01273 763043
E:liz.barling@artscouncil.org.uk
South West
Gillian Taylor
Communications team
Phone: 01392 229207
Mobile: 07989 430881
E:gillian.taylor@artscouncil.org.uk
West Midlands
Jo Forrest
Head of Communications
Phone: 0121 631 5757
Mobile: 07989 430881
E:jo.forrest@artscouncil.org.uk
Yorkshire
Tamsin Curror
Communications team
Phone: 01924 486238
Mobile: 07786 256431
E:tamsin.curror@artscouncil.org.uk