The arts in the UK: Seeing the big picture

A perspective on how to gauge and sustain the UK arts sector’s full impact

The United Kingdom is a cultural powerhouse whose arts sector is recognised globally for its quality, diversity, and innovation.

People engage with the arts in the United Kingdom on a large scale. They are drawn by art’s intrinsic aesthetic value—its ability to entertain, stimulate the senses, and trigger a wide range of emotional responses. This report seeks to gauge the broader impact of engagement with the arts—on the economy, on people’s lives, and on communities. It also considers how to sustain that impact.

Introduction: Seeing the big picture

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Assessing the direct impact of the UK arts sector

The sector contributes to the UK economy—£49 billion in gross value added in 2022. It also has a positive effect on the lives of people, improving their skills, their wellbeing, and their health. Numerous studies have shown the positive impact the arts can have on conditions such as depression, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. Engagement with the arts also enriches the fabric of local communities. Studies have shown that participation in art programmes correlates with reduced levels of criminal behaviour, for example.

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Illustration of an audience sitting on a hill next to a village. Colorful circles float above them. The scene is vibrantly colored and made of dramatic shapes and textures. Delicate line-work is etched into the background.

Dramatically colored illustration of a tree with glowing circles nestled on it’s branches, the tree’s canopy is represented by delicate line-work which expressively weaves around its branches. A figure reached up and touches one of the circles which then illuminates his arm.

Five connections that underpin the impact of the UK arts sector

This impact depends not only upon the individual efforts of artists and arts organisations but also on an entire arts ecosystem—creators, educators, distributors and promoters, suppliers, funders, and audiences. The health of the ecosystem depends on five connections within it: (1) between different art forms; (2) between for-profit and not-for-profit organisations; (3) between different organisations working in different locations; (4) between arts organisations, local public bodies, and local businesses; and (5) between the arts sector and the broader creative industries.

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Implications

For the UK arts sector to continue to thrive, all individuals and organisations involved should recognise its dynamics as an ecosystem and look for opportunities to strengthen the connections upon which its health depends.

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