Nick Ahad - why art and culture in the UK are worth billions to our economy

The joke adheres to the rule of three; lawyer, doctor, dentist. ‘Disappointment’ is the pull back and reveal punchline. The truth is, there is a logical misstep in the joke. When you have an Asian father you can also be an accountant, but adding that to the list would break comedy rules so truth takes a backseat to the pursuit of the laugh. The joke – and it is a joke, for the easily offended (if you have an Asian father, you get it) – is rooted in truth. I am not an accountant, much to my father’s disappointment.

However, I don’t need to be an accountant to work out that £10.8 billion is a big number.

That’s how much, it was revealed last week, arts and culture contributes to the UK economy. A report commissioned by the Centre for Economic and Business Research revealed a number of striking figures that even a non-accountant cannot help but be impressed by. Arts and culture has overtaken agriculture in its contribution to the UK economy, growing by £390 million in a single year. Arts and culture contributes £2.8 billion to the Treasury via taxation.

One more finding: 74 per cent of surveyed organisations had been affected by public cuts to the arts. Now, I’m no lawyer (see above) but this seems somehow criminal, surely? An industry that contributes so much to the economy, seeing the funding it requires to sustain it being hacked at should be illegal, no?

There is, of course, a far greater argument than pounds and pence when it comes to measuring the worth of culture. Halifax’s Piece Hall played host last week to the utterly extraordinary theatrical spectacle ZARA, which featured a 22ft tall puppet baby. The thousands who witnessed the event will, I’m sure, tell you that the experience of seeing this Arts Council- funded project was immeasurable. Let’s, however, stick with brass tacks. Projects like ZARA are in part funded from the public purse. Bringing thousands of people to Halifax in a single weekend boosts the economy of the town and it is that sort of event that adds to the figure of £10.8 billion that culture funnels into the UK economy.

So why is it so difficult to explain to those who ideologically want to impose cuts on the arts that doing so is morally reprehensible, economically idiotic and utterly myopic?

Honestly, it’s like pulling teeth sometimes.