Funding cuts threaten further growth of £10.8bn sector, warns chair of Arts Council England
Arts and culture have overtaken agriculture in terms of its contribution to the UK economy, according to research from Arts Council England. ACE’s chair, Sir Nicholas Serota, is warning that continuing cuts threaten further growth.
Arts Council England has published a study quantifying the contribution of arts and culture to the UK’s GDP. It showed that the sector added £10.8bn to the economy at the last count in 2016, £390m more than the previous year, more than the agricultural sector and roughly equal to cities such as Liverpool and Sheffield
At the same time the report revealed that 74% of arts organisations had been affected by public funding cuts.
Serota praised the resilience and commitment of theatres, galleries and other arts organisations that continue to thrive despite receiving less public money. He said the success in the face of adversity “tells you about the brilliance of the people running these organisations, frankly”.
These figures, however, do not include any data on heritage. To see the latest evidence on the contribution of heritage to the economy, please consult the Heritage Counts 2018 report on Heritage and the Economy.