Act now to avoid irreparable damage to the fabric of our society

The reality for the cultural sector is stark. If political leaders, local authorities and cultural leaders don’t act soon, it will collapse. There needs to be a coherent way forward to ensure long-term sustainability and prosperity.

If not, a diminished sector will result in the closure of some of our cultural institutions, further job losses, the erosion of the huge economic and social value these places create, and a void in the heart of the nation. Cuts in funding of 100% are already happening. Many organisations are on the edge of the precipice.

But is it any surprise? Real-term funding from local authorities to museums has fallen by more than a third since 2009-10. There have been cuts of up to 40% to arts and performance, and by a third to heritage. It is an existential funding crisis of the like we have never seen before. 

How can this be when the sector creates so much value? The UK’s creative industries are world renowned (and create £108bn in gross value added), and our cultural assets attract millions of tourists annually to the UK (contributing £237bn to GDP – or 10% of the economy).

Dan Hicks, a professor of contemporary archaeology at the University of Oxford, calls these cuts a “wrecking ball”. He’s right. It’s a dangerous cocktail of ever-decreasing financial support to local authorities, the prioritisation of essential services over the “non-statutory” cultural infrastructure, the burden of rising energy costs, the pain of annualised budgeting and the struggle to reclaim pre-pandemic audience levels. 

The fact is, the cultural sector attracts investment; creates huge value in the property market; helps companies attract and retain staff; and contributes significantly to learning, identity, wellbeing and the vitality of communities across the UK. Our cultural organisations are among the most creative in the world, embracing technology, driving change and constantly redefining practice.

It is sad to see our exceptional cultural leaders spending their time hunched over spreadsheets, trying to balance the unbalanceable in order to survive the next cut in funds, or defining a viable minimum offer so they can limp towards better times. Instead of having to do this, they should be busy taking creative risks, planning bold projects, or delivering ever-more impact in their communities.

Culture is who we are and what makes life worth living. It’s the lifeblood of the country – not just something that is nice to have. It needs solid financial support. Here are seven suggestions.

• There must be a new coherent, non-political, non-annualised, long-range and systemic response from all parties and sector stakeholders.
• The creation of a focused Culture Funding Taskforce, with real authority, must be an urgent priority.
• Treat the cultural sector as we would any other essential infrastructure and institute, with long-term funding arrangements.
• Fully implement a nationwide cultural tax on hotel rooms to support the sector.
• Introduce long-range financial mechanisms that recognise the value culture creates, such as a dedicated mechanism to generate funds from all property transactions.
• Use planning measures more effectively, with major attractions supporting the wider cultural ecosystem (such as the arrangement for the London Eye).
• Use new non-grant funds to create Cultural Investment Funds in localities. These should be distributed through local decision making and control.

Failure to act risks irreparable damage to the fabric of our society and the loss of invaluable cultural treasures. Given the recent announcements about further cuts due to and planned tax reductions, some of this looks inevitable. But positive change is possible, and the time to act is now – before it’s too late.

Darren Barker has worked in the cultural heritage sector for 30 years and is the co-founder of cultural consultancy Barker Langham