Launch of Report: United Kingdom's Arts, Cultural, and Heritage Sectors - Audience and Workforce Statistics and Analysis
Upcoming Event: Launch of Research Report Highlighting UK Arts and Cultural Sector Trends
Join us for an enlightening discussion at the launch of the third report in Creative PEC's State of the Nations series, focusing on the UK’s arts, culture, and heritage sectors. The event is scheduled for May 15, 2024, from 12-1pm GMT, online via Zoom.
Using data from the 2021 Census for the first time, this report offers a comprehensive analysis of the audiences and workforce in England and Wales' arts, culture, and heritage sectors. The findings are expected to be of great value to those responsible for resource allocation at local levels.
While the report illustrates persistent inequalities across several demographics in workforce and cultural participation, it also points to pockets of progress and ways to make the sectors more inclusive compared to other sectors.
Following a presentation from research lead, Mark Taylor from Sheffield University, a panel of guests will delve deeper into these findings and answer questions from the online audience. The panel includes:
- Peggy Hughes, Chief Executive at the National Centre for Writing, has extensive experience in literature organizations and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
- Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, is known for her work in film, visual arts, theatre, public art, and media, with a focus on diversity and community engagement.
- Lara Ratnaraja, Cultural Consultant, specializes in diversity, innovation, and leadership in the HE, cultural, and digital sectors. She is currently co-producing AD:Vantage and is on the advisory groups of SHOUT Festival and Coventry Biennial.
- Kelly Parish, Senior Manager, Diversity at Arts Council England, brings a background in painting and youth workshops to her policy work, and has spent much of her time at Arts Council developing funding programs and supporting equality, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
This report underscores the importance of continued inclusion strategies to address persisting disparities, while bolstering advocacy for a holistic, place-based approach to cultural policy that fosters both workforce opportunities and community engagement. The event promises to be an insightful exploration of current trends and potential solutions for the UK's arts, culture, and heritage sectors.
[Note: For a more detailed overview of the report's key findings, please see the accompanying Enrichment Data]
[1] Arts Council England. (n.d.). Our programmes 2022/23. Retrieved September 1, 2021, from https://www.artscouncilengland.org/netcommissions-our-programmes/[2] National Centre for Writing. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved September 1, 2021, from https://writingeastmidlands.co.uk/about-us/[3] Bradford 2025. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved September 1, 2021, from http://bradford2025.co.uk/about-us/[4] Embrace Arts. (2021, May 6). Creative PEC publish their first report in the State of the Nations series. Retrieved September 1, 2021, from https://www.embracearts.co.uk/news/creative-pec-publish-their-first-report-in-the-state-of-the-nations-series/[5] Creative Industries Federation. (2021, June 10). Welcome to the Creative Industries Federation. Retrieved September 1, 2021, from https://www.creativeindustriesfederation.com/
Author: Creative PEC - Providing independent research and policy recommendations for the UK's creative industries. View all posts.
[Enrichment Data]:
Overall:
The third report in Creative PEC's State of the Nations series, titled "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Recent Trends in UK Workforce and Engagement in England," provides several key findings regarding the UK’s arts, culture, and heritage sectors as of May 2025.
Key Findings
- Widening Inequalities by Class and Ethnicity The report highlights a widening gap in both participation and workforce representation by class and ethnicity. Middle-class backgrounds continue to dominate the sector, and engagement opportunities remain unevenly distributed across different demographic groups[1][2][5].
- Significant Regional Discrepancies There are notable differences in participation and workforce data across regions in England. Localities with higher engagement often correlate with areas that have a greater concentration of people working in arts, culture, and heritage[1][2].
- Link Between Workforce and Engagement The research identifies a relationship between places with high levels of arts, culture, and heritage employment and those with higher public engagement. This suggests that supporting local workforce development can enhance community participation[1][2].
- Economic Impact The arts, culture, and heritage sectors are significant contributors to the UK economy, supporting around 700,000 jobs and generating £31 billion in gross value added. This underscores the importance of robust, data-driven policy-making for these sectors[4].
- Policy Recommendations The report calls for continued and targeted inclusion strategies to address persistent inequalities. It recommends that policymakers use evidence-based approaches, including interactive dashboards, to align investment with local needs and to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) targets in all place-based interventions[2][5].
- Increased Engagement, But Persistent Gaps Although public engagement in arts and culture increased in 2023/2024, inequalities in participation along class and ethnicity lines have returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels, indicating ongoing challenges in making these sectors accessible to all[5].
Summary Table
| Key Area | Main Finding/Insight ||-------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|| Inequality | Wider gaps by class and ethnicity in engagement and workforce || Regional Variation | Notable discrepancies across English regions || Workforce-Engagement | Higher workforce presence linked to higher participation || Economic Contribution | 700,000 jobs and £31bn GVA (cultural sector) || Policy | Need for targeted inclusion, EDI focus, and data-driven place-based strategies |
This body of evidence supports the need for a holistic, place-based approach to cultural policy that nurtures both workforce opportunities and community engagement[1][2][5].
- The upcoming event will focus on the launch of a research report, provided by Creative PEC, showcasing trends in the UK's arts, culture, and heritage sectors, including insights on educational and self-development based on workforce and audience data.
- The report's findings reveal persistent inequalities across several demographic groups in terms of skills representation and cultural participation, pointing out pockets of progress towards a more inclusive cultural sector compared to other industries.
- As part of the event, there will be a panel discussion featuring policy experts from various backgrounds, including Peggy Hughes, Shanaz Gulzar, Lara Ratnaraja, and Kelly Parish, who will delve into these disparities and propose potential solutions to foster cultural policy innovation.
- Another key highlight of the report is the analysis of the economic impact of the arts and cultural sector, demonstrating its significant contribution with around 700,000 jobs and £31 billion in gross value added.
- To address the growing inequalities in the arts and cultural sector, the report suggests the importance of adopting targeted inclusion strategies in policy-making, advocating for data-driven, place-based approaches, and embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles in all interventions.
