Arts Council England has published the results of research into if and how an area’s arts and cultural offer attracts individuals and businesses to settle there; whether it’s a factor in them staying there; and whether that cultural offer shapes a place’s local identity.
The research looked at 6 different places across the country (Birmingham, Halifax, Hastings, Redruth, Southampton and Stoke-on-Trent.)
The findings of the research were that art and culture positively impacts places in the following ways:
o Promoting wellbeing – 65% of people think that arts and culture are good for wellbeing, and 36% think arts and culture are “essential to life”.
o Attracting a variety of people to live and work in an area – 44% of people who remained in an area, and 43% who moved to an area, cited arts and culture as an important factor in their decision – equal to the numbers of people citing schools.
o Helping build communities – 49% of people think attending arts and cultural events helps them feel part of a community, with 68% thinking these events are very important for fostering community feeling.
o Supporting high streets – Arts and cultural organisations are helping to fill the gap left as retail moves away from high streets. By offering unique experiences, these organisations are helping to attract visitors and increase footfall, promoting high streets as attractive places to live, work and visit.
The report “The Value of Arts and Culture in Place-shaping” can be downloaded from the Arts Council England website.
The Arts Council’s website also contains useful guidance on how arts and cultural organisations can demonstrate the economic benefits of their work. More details can be found at this LINK.
Image: Hares in Southend-on-Sea. In July 2020, 30 super-sized
Hare sculptures will be hopping their way into the town in what
promises to be an incredibly impressive, huge art installation in
partnership with Wild in Art. Further details can be found HERE.