The Stage

Birmingham’s cultural sector brings in more than £270m

Published Tuesday 4 May 2010 at 16:51 by Alistair Smith

Birmingham’s cultural venues generate more than £270 million for the city every year, according to new research.

According to Birmingham’s Cultural Capital, organisations such as Birmingham Rep, Birmingham Hippodrome and the MAC arts centre help generate an additional visitor spend - on items such as food, drink and travel - in excess of £40 million annually on top of the amount raised by the venues themselves. The report was commissioned by Birmingham Arts Partnership, which represents all the major arts organisations in the city centre. Research was undertaken by Morris Hargreaves McIntyre.

Stuart Griffiths, chief executive of Birmingham Hippodrome, one of the members of the BAP, said: “Birmingham’s Cultural Capital underlines the value of culture to Birmingham and the wider region - economically, as well as in terms of image - to individuals and to wider society. For the first time, it provides a robust measure of the return on investment from public funds in the arts and supports the case for continued investment in culture.”

According to the document, for every £1 of funding by Birmingham City Council, city centre venues and companies provide a return on investment of £29. When Arts Council England support is also included, the ratio is still one to 11. The report also said that two million people in the West Midlands have been to a cultural event in Birmingham, including 1.3 million in the last year.

It also claims that the arts employ significantly more people in Birmingham than mechanical engineering, motor vehicles or printing and publishing.

Griffiths, who is also an ambassador for Birmingham’s bid to be awarded the title of UK City of Culture, added: “The report also shows that there remains considerable scope for attracting more visitors into the city centre to enjoy the world-class culture available. Birmingham Arts Partnership will continue to work closely with the Birmingham Cultural Partnership on the bid. Meanwhile, BAP members will work ever more closely together to maintain excellence, develop audiences and inform policy.”