Fine arts graduates and the economy

Policy-makers are not doing enough to support the contribution that fine arts graduates make to our economy, according to a research report released by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) in conjunction with Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

‘The art of innovation: how fine arts graduates contribute to innovation’, and a policy briefing, ‘Fine arts graduates and innovation’, aim to change the perceptions of innovation and enterprise policy makers, arts and arts education professionals and cultural policy makers. The briefing asserts that “fine arts graduates are well adapted to the needs of the knowledge economy, but that there are barriers, including long-standing attitudes and biases, to the contributions they make to innovation. Public policy should act to lower these barriers without compromising the artistic integrity of artists’ work.”