In a joint document, Values and Vision: The Contribution of Culture, the organisations (Arts Council England, the National Museum Directors’ Conference and the Museums Libraries and Archives Council) call for a new settlement with government so that Britain can maintain its position as a world-class culture.
As the government prepares to create the conditions that will define the cultural landscape for the next 10 years, the arts and museum sector has taken the initiative.
The document celebrates the achievements of the last 10 years but acknowledges that there is still a great deal more to be done to realise true potential of the cultural sector’s contribution to public life.
Just a few of the many interesting facts in the document…
1 More people take part in cultural activity than vote.
2 In 2002 we exported cultural goods to the value of $8.5 billion, more than the United States, more than China.
3 7 of the 10 top visitor attractions in the UK are publiclyfunded museums and galleries; 85% of overseas visitors come here for our museums and galleries.
4 The overall economic impact of the national museums and libraries alone is approximately £2 billion a year.
The economic impact of theatre is £2.6 billion a year.
5 Public appreciation of the arts is at an all-time high, with 79% agreeing that arts and cultural projects should receive public funding.
6 Attendances at arts events are at their highest for ten years with 66% attending at least one type of arts event in the last 12 months.
7 UK households spend, on average, £59 each week on recreation and culture – more than on any other commodities and services except transport.
8 Artists and arts organisations have provided over 17 million experiences specifically for children and young people over the last 3 years.
·The removal of admission charges in 2001 led to a 75% increase in visitors to those museums and galleries that
previously charged, more than 5 million extra visits.
·In 2004-5 there were more than 36m visits to national museums.
·Since 2002/3 there has been a 36% increase in the number of visits to national museums from people in low income groups C2DE.
·In 2004/5 more than 2.7m children participated in educational sessions run by national museums.
Funding for Arts Council England increased significantly between 2000 and 2004.
As a result: ·Funding was restored for over 1,000 arts organisations, allowing them to thrive, innovate and attract new audiences.
·Over 17 million arts experiences were offered to young ·people over a 3 year period. ·The Arts Council’s commitment of £25 million to theatre led to a nationwide renaissance in theatre.
·The Arts Council doubled its funding to individual artists to £25 million over 3 years, investing in creativity at the cutting edge. 28% of these artists came from black and ethnic minority backgrounds in 2004/5.
Via VAGA link