Grounds for optimism in local arts giving

Grounds for optimism in local arts giving

News

There are ‘grounds for optimism’ on giving to the arts in England, says a new report from Arts & Business that looks at cultural giving in English regions outside London, with 72% of donors saying the recession would not affect their giving.

The remaining 28% said they might be more ‘prudent’ about what they donate ‘but would certainly not stop giving to arts and culture,’ Arts & Business said.

‘Local Pride - Individual giving to the arts in England’ reports that 90% of donors give between £1 and £1000 a year.

Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts & Business said, “The future of the UK’s cultural economy is more and more dependent on funding from the private sector. Our report identifies that it is not only the rich that can financially support and protect the arts, it is also the local audience.”

It said the overwhelming majority’ attended three or more events run by the organisation they supported in the last two years.

‘Local pride’ and ‘having a personal connection to the organisation’ were the two most common reasons for low and mid-level donors supporting an arts organisation.

Individual giving to the arts across the UK, including London, is £382m, according to the latest Arts & Business Investment in Culture survey.

The full report is available on the Arts & Business website.