Making our case to government must be about more than facts and figures
A big part of my job is to make the case for the value of public investment in culture. Right now, it’s especially important that this is understood by MPs and local leaders in charge of setting public spending budgets. In the months ahead, the task for us at Arts Council England – and for all of us in the cultural sector – is to bring into clear focus the unique offer provided by artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries: of delivering growth, regeneration and long-term opportunities at the same time as bringing joy to people’s lives.
This argument sits at the heart of my book, The Arts Dividend: How Investment in Culture Creates Happier Lives (all author royalties are going to Manchester Metropolitan University’s First Generation scholarship scheme). In it, I set out the benefits of sustained, strategic cultural investment across seven areas (creativity, opportunity, happiness, innovation, place-shaping, enterprise and reputation) alongside the successes of the past few years: the awe-inspiring performances and brilliantly curated exhibitions; the jobs created and growth triggered; the high streets reanimated; the audiences enraptured; the children transported.
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I’ve sent a copy to every MP and member of the House of Lords, so when they come to make investment choices, they have in their hands not just facts and figures, but living, breathing examples of the impact of cultural investment on lives and communities. Because the argument for public investment in culture isn’t won or lost in the short term. Rather, it’s made over the long term: by demonstrating the advantages – financial, social, personal – delivered by public investment in culture.
Making the case for investment in culture is not about special pleading – it’s about drawing attention to the ways in which our sector delivers against the government’s growth and opportunity missions
And public investment is particularly crucial at this time, as costs continue to rise and other sources of funding tighten or disappear. The alarm expressed by the sector recently when we were considering changes to the eligibility criteria for National Lottery Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice to manage high demand for these funds, made that point eloquently. These programmes are funded through National Lottery income, rather than grant-in-aid, but they are just as essential for artists, freelancers and cultural bodies; together with NPO funding they form a vital part of the ecology. On NLPG and DYCP, we heard your concern, and have paused our changes while we consult further. On the broader question, though, the argument remains pressing, and we need to make it together: by showing policymakers the tangible value that artists and creative organisations are delivering.
Making the case for investment in culture is not about special pleading. It’s about drawing attention to the ways in which our sector delivers against the government’s growth and opportunity missions. It’s about making clear that investment in culture is not just an expenditure, but a commitment to a brighter, richer, more cohesive future.
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