Olivia Colman ‘shocked by neglect of arts funding in UK’

The Crown stars Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton are calling for more funding for the arts in the UK after “shocking” levels of neglect were found across the country.

Oscar winner Colman, 50, was reacting to a report commissioned by performing arts and entertainment union Equity, which said funding for UK arts councils fell by 16% in real terms between 2017 and 2022 .

The data, based on Freedom of Information requests to all UK arts councils and which puts the five-year fall at £189,981,567, was analyzed by research body Autonomy Institute .

Colman, who played Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown and won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of 18th-century monarch Queen Anne in The Favorite, said “billions of people” watch movies. British films, theaters and TV shows.

She said of the report: “It is shocking to see the extent to which this key sector of the economy and its workforce has been neglected, despite its enormous contribution to the UK’s position in the world and to our public life.

“The lack of government funding increasingly means that only the wealthy can afford a ticket to a show or build a career in the industry. Only certain people can share the stories told.

“Equity’s analysis demonstrates that whoever wins the next election must urgently bring forward plans to invest in arts and entertainment here. This is just common sense.”

According to findings from the Autonomy Institute, the five-year period between 2017 and 2022 saw funding falls of 11% in England, 30% in Wales and 16% in Northern Ireland.

Scotland saw a 2% increase over the same period, the report notes.

Staunton, who starred in the Harry Potter film series and took over from Equity member Colman as Elizabeth II in The Crown, said: “We live in a golden age of drama, in particularly on streaming platforms, thanks to the exceptional ability of the UK artistic workforce to bring world-class storytelling to global audiences. But too many places in the UK have gone without funding for the arts, depriving audiences and artists alike.

“With adequate funding, there is no limit to the inspiration and entertainment potential of the arts, encouraging both human creativity and economic benefit. I want to see all parties promise a lot more when it comes to art.

“They are not just ‘nice to have’: they are essential to the prosperous and confident country we all want to live in. »

Equity is calling on political parties in their general election campaigns to commit to increasing funding for arts and entertainment in the UK to 0.5% of GDP, to demand that funded bodies only use their agreements reserved for unions and to modify universal credit to help the self-employed.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Despite the difficult budgetary situation resulting from strong inflationary pressures, Scottish ministers have increased funding for the cultural sector by £15.8 million to £196.6 million. sterling this financial year, as a first step in meeting our commitment to invest in at least £100 million more per year in culture and the arts by 2028/29.

“Through this increased investment we want to increase opportunities for participation in creative activity, support the production of new work and ensure that Scottish cultural production has platforms at home and abroad. »

Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, Creative Scotland and the UK and devolved governments have been contacted for a response.

Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Wales declined to comment due to purdah, the pre-election period which requires public bodies to exercise “caution” before the UK goes to the polls .

A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Department of Communities said “difficult decisions have had to be made” due to the recent “financial situation”.

They added: “This included implementing a 5% cut to the Arts Council’s budget, reducing it by £500,000 to £9.7 million.

“However, since taking office, the Minister has allocated over £1.5 million in additional funding to the Arts Council, addressing some of the funding challenges faced in the sector.”

A consultation has also been launched by the department for the 2024-25 budget, which will run until September 3.