The health of the arts sector

The first UK Arts Index has been published to establish a standard measure of the health of the arts sector. This will track 20 indicators from a number of different publicly available sources across the UK. Published by the National Campaign for the Arts and prepared by Audiences London, the report mirrors a similar index used to support arts planners and decision-makers in the USA. Together the indicators will generate an index score reflecting a UK-wide picture of the vitality of each nation and each English region. This first Arts Index covers the years 2007/08 to 2009/10 and from 2012 it will be published and updated each year.

The overall UK Arts Index score remained fairly constant during that three-year period, despite the UK’s fall into recession during 2008. There was a sustained decline in private sector support for the arts, and employment in the sector fell; but adult attendance remained stable and levels of satisfaction rose. The most startling finding was the large and growing gap between some of the English regions.