Arts & Economy
In the light of the comment from Maria Miller (the former Culture Secretary who resigned for inappropriate use of her MP’s expenses,) that the arts should focus on “culture’s economic impact”, I have found the following statistics a useful tool:
- The arts cost 0.1% of public spending, but produce 0.4% nation’s GDP the cost is just 17p per week to each person in Britain (The Guardian)
- Turnover in arts & culture is £12.4 billion in 2011 (ACE figures)
- The arts alone represent a tourism value of £856 million (ACE figures)
- The arts employ 110,000 direct jobs, which is 0.45% of UK’s total employment (ACE statistic)
- More money is generated per pound invested in the arts than is achieved by health, wholesale and retail, professional or business services sectors (ACE).
- Other impacts of the arts (which we all know, but are worth remembering when we get into ‘those’ arguments): social cohesion, education, self respect & citizenship, accessibility & diversity, economic regeneration &enterprise.
- But more important than all that… good art brings joy, wonder, truth & beauty.
It has always seemed to me that the arts are the glue which holds the fabric together!
Find out more here:
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/pdf/CEBR_economic_report_web_version_0513.pdf
or here:
http://supportthearts.co.uk/economy