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Contribution of the arts and culture industry to the UK economy

This report is an update of the Centre for Economics and Business Research’s (Cebr) 2015 study, on behalf of Arts Council England, on the contribution made by the arts and culture industry to the UK’s national and regional economies.

The report includes new figures that show;

  • New figures show the arts and culture industry has grown 10% in a year, and now contributes £8.5bn to the UK economy. 
  • There were £5.2bn exports of arts and culture goods and services in 2013, more than 3 times that of UK film sector. With 84% going outside the EU.
  • Culture pays £2.6bn in taxes, £5 for every £1 of public funding.
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Exploring the role of arts and culture in the creative industries

This report uses case studies of the games, music, architecture and other sectors to examine how our sector links with them.

This research by SDG suggests the economic impact of arts and culture could be even greater. For example:

  • Games companies use IP produced by artists, and rely on talent from arts colleges.
  • Film and TV publishers work closely with musicians and composers, with music for Hollywood film trailers paying between $10,000 and $75,000 each.
  • Architects like Hawkins\Brown often commission artists at concept and design stages to create an identity for buildings and spaces.
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