Why supporting the arts makes sound economic sense: Greg Wright
To prove this point, let me take you to the town of Pitlochry, in Perthshire, where the Festival Theatre has dominated the verdant landscape around Port-na-Craig for more than 40 years. The theatre stands as a testament to the drive and vision of Kenneth Ireland, the former festival director who believed the arts should not solely be enjoyed by city dwellers. The post-show walk home to Pitlochry must rank as one of the most picturesque in Britain and the theatre’s summer season, which includes a spirited adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, shows the regional arts scene is alive and kicking despite the ravages of the pandemic, which temporarily brought the curtain down across the entire sector.
We must never overlook the role played by the arts in supporting jobs and investment beyond the West End. A total of 970,000 workers contribute to the UK’s arts sector, according to a 2023 report from McKinsey & Company. The report found that, although many UK arts organisations are not-for-profits, the sector makes a significant direct economic contribution to the UK economy, as measured by the work of the 139,000 enterprises active within it.
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Hide AdTo quote the McKinsey report: “The total revenues of arts enterprises reached £140bn in 2022, 40 per cent of it generated by suppliers of products and services.
"This translated into a total gross value added (GVA)—a measure of the value to the economy of the goods and services a sector produces—of £49bn, including the £20bn contribution by suppliers. That equals 2.2 percent of the national GVA. To put this sum in context, it’s similar to the GVA of the food and beverage services sector and 50 per cent bigger than the GVA of the telecommunications industry.”
The arts can never be an after-thought, given the sector’s scale and economic contribution. That’s why it was heartening to hear that businesses across Hull and East Yorkshire are being urged to sign up to a Creative Charter, which is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. The charter aims to provide a long-term boost to the arts sector, which was invigorated by Hull’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017, but has been badly affected by the pandemic and economic pressures.
The charter asks businesses to connect with arts and culture organisations and freelancers, and to “advocate” for Hull and East Yorkshire’s creative sector. They are also encouraged to help the arts sector thrive, using creative organisations wherever possible and supporting them financially.
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Hide AdDominic Gibbons, Chair of HEY Creative and Managing Director of Wykeland Group, one of the founding signatories of the charter, said: “Together, through the power of arts and culture, we can unleash valuable potential for individuals, communities, businesses and the wider region.”
The arts can stimulate the mind, lift the soul and foster tolerance, compassion and empathy. The charter could form the template for an approach which is copied across Britain and provide support for a sector which has taken a battering since the pandemic’s arrival in the dark days of spring 2020.
Greg Wright is the deputy business editor of The Yorkshire Post
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