As the national development agency for creativity and culture, The Arts Council England’s (ACE) vision in its ‘Let’s Create strategy’ is ‘by 2030 for England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish…’.
The Arts Council England writes:
The distribution of grant-in-aid and National Lottery monies supports the realisation of this vision and recognises that this public funding co-exists with other types of funding or income. This mixed funding model of the creative and cultural sector in England comprises:
- public funding, through central government, Local Authorities, Arts Council England and other public bodies
- earned income including ticket sales and other retail offers as well as paid for services to businesses and other organisations
- contributed income fundraised from individuals, businesses (‘corporates’) and trusts and foundations as gifts or in return for benefits.
The latest in a series with previous studies in 2016, 2019 and 2022, this Private Investment in Culture Survey (PICS) report, commissioned from The Audience Agency in partnership with MyCake and Etic Lab, aims to better understand the mixed funding models adopted by the cultural sector. It focuses on the role that income contributed to organisations – ‘private investment’ – plays in those funding models. It goes beyond our National Portfolio of funded organisations, aiming to reflect the diversity of England’s creative and cultural sector – across different organisational types, sizes and artforms.
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England, said: ‘This latest survey reveals the resilience of the cultural and creative sectors in response to challenging times as organisations demonstrate collaboration, innovation and resourcefulness in their approach to fundraising. I am confident that continuing on this path will ensure they can flourish in the coming years for the benefit of the people they serve.’
Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: ‘The arts and cultural sectors are not just the soul of our nation but a vital economic engine. That is why we announced the Arts Everywhere Fund earlier this year, worth £270 million, to begin to fix the foundations of our arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage sector in communities across the country. We strongly support private investment towards our arts sector. This isn’t about replacing public funding – it is about amplifying it and building a sustainable ecosystem where creativity and innovation can flourish. By working together, I hope our injection of public funding will trigger more philanthropic support so the arts can continue to thrive, widen access, drive visitors to the UK and tell our national story on the world stage.’
