The arts budget is tiny
It costs 17p a week per person . Less than half the price of a pint of milk, less than a cup of coffee, even less than your daily newspaper.
The arts are popular
76% of English adults engaged in the arts in the last 12 months
- Arts Council England's regularly funded organisations attracted 85 million attendances in 2008/9
- The National Theatre played to 93% capacity and the RSC to 92%.
- The Barbican sold a record 1.2 million tickets.
- The 2009 Manchester International Festival attracted over 230,000 visitors, operating at 89% capacity.
The creative industries are essential to our economy
The creative industries accounted for £59.9bn or 6.2% of UK Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2007. They grew by an average of 5% per annum between 1997 and 2007. This compares to an average of 3% for the whole of the economy over this period. They account for £16.6bn in exports and nearly 2m jobs.
The subsidised arts directly feed the commercial sector
Jerusalem, Enron, War Horse, The History Boys and Monkey Journey to the West have all gone on to huge commercial success after starting in the subsidised sector.
Did you know?
- Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting
- Lee Hall - The Pitmen Painters
- Stephen Daldry - Billy Elliot, The Reader
all started work in Arts Council funded organisations.
The arts play an essential role regenerating local economies
- Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture delivered £800m for the Merseyside economy and 15m attendances at cultural events or attractions. 25% of visitors in 2008 were new to the city.
- The Sage Gateshead contributed £43m to the North East economy during its first year.
- The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill contributes £16m to its local economy.
- Pallant House Gallery in Chichester contributes £2.7m.
The arts are a vital draw for inbound tourism
Inbound tourism is a vital export earner for the UK economy, worth £16.3 billion in 2008
The ONS International Passenger Survey showed that in 2006 just under 4 million overseas visitors to Britain went to the theatre, ballet, opera or a concert.
The Anholt-GMI Nations Brand is a survey of 25,000 overseas residents looking at perceptions of the UK. 49% of those surveyed said that on a visit to Britain they would be very likely to go to a live music concert or event and 38% said that they would go to the theatre, opera or ballet.
Every pound we put in generates two pounds from elsewhere
Arts Council regular funding only accounts for a minority of the overall income of the portfolio of regularly funded organisations. For the portfolio as a whole, that proportion has fallen from 36% in 2001/02 to 29% in 2008/09.
Arts organisations are dynamic and entrepreneurial
Regularly funded organisations have been able to increase their earned income at a faster rate than the growth in public support. Over the last 8 years, Arts Council regular funding rose by 56% while regularly funded organisations earned income rose by 66%.
Sustained public funding has delivered highest ever audiences
Increased funding to the regularly funded organisation portfolio has led not only to an increase in the number of performances and exhibitions but also to an even larger increase in attendances.
In the last eight years the total number of performances has increased 15% while attendance at these performances has increased by 41%. In the last four years the total number of exhibition days increased by 115% while attendance at these exhibitions increased by 158%.
Sustained public funding has transformed opportunities for young people to experience the arts
The number of performances for children and young people increased by 20% over the last eight years with a 55% increase in attendance. Arts Council regularly funded organisations collectively put on 15,580 school performance attracting 3,329,229 attendances in 2008/09!.
The Arts Council plays a vital role - it is respected and valued
A stakeholder survey by Ipsos Mori showed that 87% of the arts sector and partners rate the quality of their working relationship with the Arts Council as good or very good.
The Arts Council is efficient and effective
Arts Council administration costs have reduced to 6.6% - in real terms from £53.8m in 2001/02 to £39.5m in 2010/11.
Sources:
Population of England is 51,446,000 (Source: ONS). Arts Council grant in aid in 2009/10 is £454,000,000. It works out at 0.1697p per person.
Regularly funded organisation Annual Survey
Royal National Theatre, Annual Report 2008/09
Royal Shakespeare Company Annual Report 2008/09
Barbican Annual Review 2008/09
Manchester City Council Report to Executive, September 2009
Creative Industries Economic Estimates, February 2010, DCMS. Totals exclude craft and design.
Source: Liverpool Culture Company
Gateshead Council - Review of Physical Regeneration Impact of the Regeneration of Gateshead Quays, March 2007
De La Warr Pavilion Economic Impact Evaluation, sam/University of Brighton, June 2007
Pallant House Gallery Economic Impact Study, 2008
ONS International Passenger Survey
VisitBriatin "Foresight" Issue 48. October 2007
VisitBritain "Foresight" Issue 42, April 2007
Regularly funded organisation Annual Survey
Regularly funded organisation Annual Survey - regularly funded organisation funding to a constant sample of 270 organisations, 2001/02 - 2008/09
Regularly funded organisations Annual Survey - regularly funded organisation funding to a constant sample of 270 organisations, 2001/02 - 2008/09
The exhibition data is only for the years 2004/05 to 2008/09 because before then it was collected differently and is not comparable.
Regularly funded organisation Annual Survey
Run with Ipsos Mori and prepared in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics by the UK Statistics Authority.
Base year: 2001/2. Excludes Creative Partnership and exceptional items and cost of Arena developments.
