Arts Council England Press Office

The publication shows how investing in culture and heritage can help Britain's social and economic recovery from recession. It demonstrates with facts and figures that a fifteen-year period of investment has created a public appetite for culture that continues to grow, and that the arts, heritage, museums, libraries and archives make a strong contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of Britain.
 
The UK has the largest cultural economy in the world relative to GDP. Every £1 invested in culture produces £2. Two thirds of the adult population in the UK enjoy the arts, visit historic sites and go to museums and galleries. Of the top 10 UK visitor attractions, 8 are national museums.
 
The manifesto argues that a reduction of public investment would make poor economic sense. As the eyes of the world are on Britain during the Olympic year, 2012, sustained funding is essential if our cultural institutions and attractions are to realise the opportunity that 2012 presents to create a lasting legacy of more people taking part in arts and culture, and to enhance our international profile. The cultural sector can also make a real contribution to social and economic recovery through offering work, learning, training and social engagement.
 
The manifesto shows that the arts and heritage agencies have already contributed £2.2 billion from their National Lottery income to the London 2012 Olympics (the Heritage Lottery Fund is losing £161.2 million; the four arts councils and two film councils are losing another £161.2 million). And this year alone the cultural sector has made extensive contributions to public sector savings through the £20m cut to the overall DCMS grant-in-aid allocation announced in the 2009 budget. This is in addition the savings made to administrative costs by individual agencies. Over the last twelve years, English Heritage has lost £130m in grant-in-aid.
 
The manifesto demonstrates that it is essential to sustain the success of the cultural sector, which represents the creative capital that feeds our flourishing creative industries, inspires and educates young people, and makes Britain a
number one international destination for cultural tourism. "Culture is the catalyst for change" the document argues.
 
Cultural Capital: A Manifesto for the Future has been produced in association with the following national organisations: Arts Council England, Association of Independent Museums, Cultural Learning Alliance, English Heritage, The Heritage Alliance, Heritage Lottery Fund, local Government Association. Museums Association, Museums Libraries and Archives Council, National Campaign for the Arts, National Heritage Memorial Fund, National Museum Directors' Conference, Society of Archivists, Society of Chief Librarians, The Art Fund, The National Archives and Visit England.

Press Enquiries
Erica Bolton
Bolton & Quinn Ltd
Tel: 020 7221 5000
Mobile: 07711 698 186
Email: erica@boltonquinn.com

Key Facts

·     Two thirds of the adult population enjoy the arts, visit historic sites, go to museums and galleries.

·     The sector covered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport accounts for 10% of GDP.

·     Total cultural spending represents only 1% of the NHS budget.

·     The UK has the largest and fastest growing cultural economy in the world – the creative industries contribute 6.2% to the UK economy, with nearly 2 million people in creative employment.

·     Every £1 Arts Council England invests generates £2 from elsewhere.

·     Heritage tourism contributes over £20 billion to UK GDP, more than advertising or the car industry.

·     Music contributes nearly £5 billion to the UK economy, with £1.3 billion of that coming as export earnings.

·     The economic benefits of the UK’s major museums and galleries alone are estimated to be £1.5 billion per annum.

·     The economic impact of theatre is £2.6 billion a year.

·     In 2009 the 52 major theatres in central London, representing a mix of subsidised and commercial theatres and productions, had their best year ever, worth £504 million in box office receipts.

·     Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture generated £800 million for the local economy and attracted 27% more visitors to the city.

·     The economic impact of the 2009 Manchester International Festival was £35.7 million.

·     In 2007 the creative sector generated £57 billion in Gross Added Value to the national economy.

·     In the last 10 years, the creative and cultural industries have grown faster than the rest of the economy, and account for 6.2% of Gross Value Added.

·     Nearly two million people are employed in the creative and cultural industries; these grew by an average of 5% a year between 1997 and 2007, compared to 3% for the economy as a whole.

·     In 2008/9 the UK national museums received over 40 million visitors.

·     Eight of the UK’s top ten visitor attractions are museums.

·     Since free admission, the number of visits to national museums by children under 16 has increased by 80%.

·     In 2008/9 Renaissance funded regional museums received 15.8 million visitors.

·     In 2009 English Heritage saw their visitor numbers rise by 16% and the National Trust by 18%.

·     Over 112 million documents form the National Archives website were downloaded in 2008/9.

-ends-