The connection between cultural participation, such as attending music performances, visiting galleries, and engaging with the arts, and broader social benefits is increasingly recognised. The arts have long been valued for their emotional and cultural impact, but their role in enhancing physical health, productivity, and quality of life is now also understood. A recent report revealed that cultural participation could contribute up to £8 billion annually, highlighting that the arts are a vital social asset, not a luxury.[1]
This underscores the importance of supporting the venues that enable cultural engagement, many of which are facing financial crises. Last year, the Music Venue Trust outlined the soaring costs of running a live music venue, which included rising utility bills, and an average of 37.5% rent hike.[2] This, coupled with profits of around just 0.5%, meant that out of around 900 UK grassroots music venues, 125 closed in 2022.[3] These closures reflect the financial pressures and challenges many cultural spaces face due to rising costs, economic instability, and lack of consistent support.
Music venues, theatres, and art spaces play a vital role in community life, local economies, and individual wellbeing. They promote social connections, creativity, and personal expression, which are crucial for fostering a strong sense of identity and belonging. According to the UK Government, in 2022, live music contributed £5.2 billion economic value to the UK economy and supported 228,000 full- and part-time jobs[4]. Grassroots venues also support long-term skills development, with many successful careers beginning in these spaces; a fact recognised by artists such as Sam Fender and Coldplay, who donate a portion of their earnings to the Music Venues Trust. Without these spaces, communities lose not only joy but also significant communal benefits.
Beyond these economic and cultural benefits, arts engagement has been shown to support physical and mental health. A study undertaken for the Department for Culture, Media and Sports by Frontier and the World Health Organisation highlighted the ability of cultural activity to alleviate symptoms of pain, frailty, and depression, reduce reliance on medication, and improve both mental and physical health, especially among older adults. Evidence was also found that it may help postpone the onset of dementia.[5] Given these benefits, protecting cultural spaces could be viewed as a public health issue.
Social impact assessments allow us to understand the impact of these benefits. Supporting national health creates huge social value, which can be measured through proxy values such as reduced costs to the NHS, increased productivity at work and improved quality of life. For example, the study estimates that over-65s who took drawing classes every week for three months at their local museum, in an initiative called “Thursday at the museum”, created a financial dividend of on average £1,310 each from going to see their GP less and feeling better about their lives. The £8 billion social value estimated shows that the arts are a national resource which should be invested in to create long-term value in health, community wellbeing, and economic stability, and should not be left alone to traverse the many and increasing number of challenges that they face.
Recent studies highlight the extent to which public funding for the UK’s culture sector since 2010 has been cut. Council spending on culture and leisure services in England has dropped by £2.3bn in real terms, with local governments, which are the largest funders of culture, investing £1bn annually. Additionally, councils have faced a 24% real terms cut in core spending power from 2010 to 2024. This means that councils often lack the resources to gain funding from increasingly fragmented sources, while councils own funding pots have shifted from long-term investment to smaller, short-term funding streams.[6]
Recognising social value enables us to consider the broader return on investment that funding can generate. For example, the £1bn investment by councils is under threat due to rising demand for statutory services around adult and children’s social care.[7] Viewing arts funding through the lens of social value reframes it as a vital resource that can support adults in need of care, rather than a competition for limited funding. This perspective strengthens the case for prioritising increased investment in the arts as a national priority.
In conclusion, the connection between cultural participation and broader social benefits is undeniable. The arts are not only a source of cultural and emotional enrichment, but they also contribute significantly to physical health, economic stability, and community wellbeing. Grassroots venues, in particular, are vital to sustaining social cohesion and developing long-term skills. However, they face growing financial challenges, exacerbated by funding cuts and rising operational costs. Recognising the social value of the arts strengthens the case for increased investment, ensuring that cultural spaces continue to provide their far-reaching benefits to individuals and society as a whole.
Sources and Links –
[1] https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/329834/9789289054553-eng.pdf?sequence=3
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68050664#:~:text=The%20Music%20Venues%20Trust%20(MVT,just%200.5%25%2C%20MVT%20said.
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/jan/24/over-a-third-of-uk-grassroots-music-venues-are-loss-making-charity-finds#:~:text=There%20were%20960%20grassroots%20music,on%20their%20path%20to%20success.
[4] https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmcumeds/527/report.html
[5] https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/329834/9789289054553-eng.pdf?sequence=3efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/329834/9789289054553-eng.pdf?sequence=3
[6] https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2024/08/local-government-funding-for-culture-and-leisure-down-2-3bn-since-2010/#
[7] https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2024/08/local-government-funding-for-culture-and-leisure-down-2-3bn-since-2010/#