A lot more than most think!
Every time public investment in the arts is questioned -especially when the stakes are high for things like schools, hospitals, or social care – freelancers in the cultural sector find themselves having to explain the value of what they do. Again. And again.
But a new report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research, commissioned by Arts Council England, makes it crystal clear: public funding for arts and culture delivers massive economic returns—both directly and through a powerful ripple effect across society.
The report (Spillover impacts in the publicly funded arts and culture sector) doesn’t just measure what the arts do directly, like jobs, ticket revenue, and tourism spend. It focuses on what the arts unlock. The so-called “spillover effects” that ripple out from every piece of public funding, benefitting everything from high streets to health services to international trade.
An example of this is highlighted in the report: Aviva Studios in Manchester, where public investment helped unlock significant private funding, creating a new cultural landmark projected to generate £1.1 billion for the city’s economy and support 1,500 jobs over the next decade.
It also highlights the National Theatre’s ‘NT at Home’ streaming platform, born out of pandemic necessity, which reached more people in 16 weeks than the NT reached in an entire year of live performance. And it paved the way for countless other theatres to go digital too.
Then there’s the fact that engaging in arts and culture reduces GP visits, A&E admissions, and even reliance on medication in dementia care. If that doesn’t count as saving money and improving lives, what does?
Let’s not forget the people making it all happen. Freelancers make up an estimated 70% of the theatre workforce. Most of the creative engine room runs on freelance energy, expertise… and sheer graft.
But freelancers are often left out of the picture when it comes to recognition, and worse, support. So when we talk about the economic value of the arts, we’re also talking about the value of freelance work, creative risk-taking, and gig-to-gig survival.
The report shows that every £1 invested in Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations returns £3.12 in GVA (gross value added). And when you include indirect spillovers like boosting regional economies, upskilling local residents, or attracting tourists, that return multiplies.
Public funding enables cultural organisations to do things that the private sector can’t or won’t, such as take creative risks, try new technology, train the next generation, and make art accessible to more people in more places.
The arts aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re an essential part of the UK’s economic and social fabric. They don’t take money away from growth – they are growth.
As the report’s foreword says: “It is not the financial worth of art that matters. Rather, that art makes life worth living.” Yes. But it turns out art also boosts GDP, creates jobs, supports mental health, builds cities, and brings in foreign investment. Good to know, right?
For the freelancers working every day to keep this sector alive, this is more than a report—it’s evidence. It’s ammunition. And it’s a reminder that we don’t need to apologise for being part of a sector that generates value far beyond the stage.