The State of the Arts
The Researchers
Heidi AshtonLink opens in a new window led this research with Melanie Stavrou, Jack Gamble and David Brownlee.
The Challenge
The United Kingdom is recognised around the world for its vibrant culture and heritage. The State of the Arts report highlights the challenges the UK now faces to maintain and enhance this in a context of declining funding for the arts, nationally and regionally, since 2010. This report underscores the need for better and more balanced support to ensure the vitality and accessibility of the arts for everyone, across all parts of the UK.
Our Approach
The report draws on and synthesises existing public data on five interconnected 'health metrics' for the state of the arts: Data on funding, provision, engagement, education and employment from 2010-2023. Taken together these provide a usable and accessible national snapshot to inform discussion about the health and sustainability of the UK's arts and cultural sectors.
Our Impact
The State of the Arts report serves as a benchmark for future analysis and informs policy decision making, including featuring in the Hodge Review of the Arts Council in 2026. The project includes the creation of a local arts funding tracker - a tool for citizens to see how much is spent on culture where they live, empowering local dialogue and campaigns for funding: .
