As a practicing artist I am really passionate about the value of art and culture in our society and I know the sector in this constituency very well.
Suffolk is a culturally rich area and the arts enhance the lives of those of us who live here as well as playing an important part in the local economy. To give you an idea of the fiscal benefits, every £1 invested in the arts generates £7 in local business. For example if someone attends a Theatre Royal performance they will probably eat at a local restaurant, may stay in a hotel and visit other local attractions as well. The restaurants and hotels then attract other visitors and the town thrives. The Culture and Creative Industries generate £272m in the East Anglian region every year! This is the 4th highest of any sector and they create over 7,000 jobs – see more stats at the end of this article.
The cultural benefits are not limited to the wonderful performances and exhibitions provided by the sector. What happens behind the scenes in the form of outreach, is possibly more important. The Theatre Royal has run some amazing outreach schemes for local children. As a school governor at Great Barton CE Primary Academy I have seen the impact of the collaborative projects that the children have done with the Theatre Royal. I particularly noticed after covid that it really helped children who had lost confidence socially to take part in a theatre project and to actually perform on the stage in Bury St Edmunds. I don’t think that they will ever forget that!
The Government’s All-Party Parliamentary Report into Arts, Health & Wellbeing found that 83% of people who engaged with culture went on to enjoy greater well being and 77% of people who engaged with culture went on to enjoy more physical activity. Locally in Suffolk the culture sector supports 24,493 children and young people and 76,516 vulnerable people each year, through community engagement work. Arts and Culture are low cost and preventative – if citizens do not engage with arts and culture they are less likely to live active/healthy lifestyles and more likely to access NHS or other statutory care services – which are vastly more expensive.
My personal involvement in the sector is as a printmaker and ceramicist. I was a Trustee at Gainsborough’s House and Chair of the Printworkshop. I have personally taken part in outreach work and have seen the benefits. I was instrumental in organising the campaign to fight the Arts Funding Cuts proposed by the County Council. Whilst they agreed not to cut the funding they are still proposing a very damaging cut to core funding for the Theatre Royal and the Food Museum. I continue to oppose and fight these cuts.
Together with Owen Calvert Lyons of the Theatre Royal I organised a meeting between the Leaders of the Culture Sector in Suffolk and the eight Suffolk Green Party Parliamentary Candidates. It was very helpful, below I attach the briefing paper from which I have drawn for my statistics.
Green MPs will push for:
- A £5bn investment to support community sports, arts and culture.
- Keeping local sports facilities, museums, theatres, libraries and art galleries open and thriving.
- An end to VAT on cultural activities, lowering the prices of everything from museum tickets to gigs in local pubs and making these more accessible.
https://greenparty.org.uk/about/our-manifesto/arts-sports-and-culture-for-all/
Social Benefit
- Collectively, our organisations support 24,493 children and young people and 76,516 vulnerable people each year, through our community engagement work.
*New Anglia LEP Cultural Evidence report April 2021 Evidence Report
- The Government’s All-Party Parliamentary Report into Arts, Health & Wellbeing found that:
– 77% of people who engaged with culture went on to enjoy more physical activity
– 83% of people who engaged with culture went on to enjoy greater well being
- Arts and Culture are low cost and preventative – if citizens do not engage with arts and culture they are less likely to live active/healthy lifestyles and more likely to access NHS or other statutory care services – which are vastly more expensive.
Economic Impact
- Culture is a major growth area. The Creative Industries contribute £115bn to the UK economy (2019)
- The Culture and Creative Industries generate £272m in the East Anglian region every year! *New Anglia LEP Cultural Evidence report April 2021 Evidence Report
From SCC’s 2022 Report:
Arts & Culture
The arts organisations that the Council invests in attract over £2.8 million of national
investment from the Arts Council, over £400k from Trusts and Foundations, £300k from
Philanthropy and earn over £4.5 million. For every £1 that the Council invested in these
organisations in 2019-20 attracted £11.78 from national public funding, charities and
philanthropists.
These organisations also deliver a significant social return, offering access to culture for all
corners of our communities – from the most vulnerable, to the most socially isolated, from
those with access problems and disabilities, to those with mental health issues, from outreach
work with children in our schools to workshops specifically for adults with dementia.
It is important to recognise that the cultural scene in Suffolk is not just the organisations the
Council supports financially, these organisations work together and collaborate. The Norfolk
and Suffolk Culture Board works to ensure that the sector is regionally efficient and effective.
They have recently, with support from Arts Council and LEP, commissioned an economic
impact study that shows that the cultural sector of Norfolk and Suffolk:
- Delivers over 7,000 jobs
- Has seen employment grow 24% in last 5 years (2019)
- Generates £272 million in GVA per annum (the 4th highest of any sector)
- Is made up of over 1,250 businesses
- Is dominated by micro business with 95% having fewer than 10 employees. This is
higher than the national average.
- Average full-time workers earn £26,700 – 16% more than the average for the rest of
the economy
- Participation levels have grown from 2005/6 to 2018/19: in the Arts (+7%), Heritage
(+11%) and Museums (+ 22%).