Supporting our role as an advocate for the value of arts and culture, Arts Council England has refreshed its advocacy toolkit for the sector. The new toolkit contains updated advice and guidance on how to raise awareness and demonstrate the value of public investment in arts and culture. This presentation can be shared and downloaded for use in your own presentations and meetings. For more information visit www.artscouncil.org.uk/culturematters Inside you will find: • a series key facts and statistics infographics on: investment; economy, employment and audience which can be shared in social media • advice on the government agenda and how to make our case effectively to local and national politicians to align with their broader objectives • advice on relationship building with MPs and media • advice on how organisations can create your own ‘public value’ web pages

1. How to demonstrate the benefits
of public investment
in arts and culture
www.artscouncil.org.uk/culturematters
Advocacy toolkit

2. Tree Of Light in Oxford, delivered by Thames Arts. Photo: Nick Serpell Rand

3. Why invest in arts and culture?
This presentation is designed to help your organisation demonstrate
the benefits of public investment in arts and culture.
You can use the information on these pages to:
• contact your MP to explain why it’s essential to invest in
arts and culture, and how this applies to your organisation
• tell your stakeholders and social networking followers why we
need to invest in arts and culture and encourage them to make
the case to their MPs and local councilors.
• update your website with content on the benefits of investing in
arts and culture.
• include key messages on investing in arts and culture on your
press releases and in any media activity
Battle for the Winds - the final battle.
Photo: Kevin Clifford

4. Our story:
why arts and culture are good value
You can use and adapt these messages at every opportunity:
• Britain’s cultural sector has boomed after sustained government
investment
• together, we have created world-class work, landmark
institutions and quality education programmes
• cultural events bring communities together and make our lives
richer
• the cultural sector creates economic growth and jobs: it is one
of the fastest-growing in the economy
• continued public funding is vital to the whole sector, giving
confidence to sponsors and private investors
• arts and culture are relatively cheap to support, and bring big
returns - the cost to each person in England is just 14p per
week – less than 0.05 per cent of government spending
Fire Garden at Stonehenge, Compagnie
Carabosse. Photo: Clint Randall

7. 5 simple things
organisations can do
We all have a role in demonstrating the value of investment in arts
and culture, here are some practical things you can do to help:
• create a landing page on your website using the ‘why arts and
culture are good value’ bullets and link to
www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do
• put together some facts, figures and quotes to show the impact
of your work - Economic impact assessments can also be
uploaded to our blog
• tell your social networks about the value of public investment in
arts and culture and encourage them to share your messages -
– you can also share our key facts and stats infographics
• encourage your stakeholders to make the case for public
investment to local and national politicians
• ensure your work is branded with the Arts Council England
logo, so everybody knows public money has contributed
Stockhausen’s Mittwoch aus Licht/Wednesday
from Light by Birmingham Opera Company.
Photo: Helen Maybanks

8. 5 simple things
artists can do
• if you are working with arts organisations, find out if there is any
planned advocacy activity that you could support
• identify opportunities in your own promotional activity to talk
about how public investment in arts and culture shaped your
own artistic career
• write to or email your MP to tell them why public investment in
arts and culture is so important and how it has benefited you
and your local community
• use your professional and social networks to tell your
audience why arts and culture are good value using our
demonstrating the value bullets
• if you have a website, include link through to the Arts Council’s
public-facing landing page www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do
Life and Death of Marina Abramovic,
Manchester International Festival 2011.
Credit Lucie Jansch

9. Create a public value webpage
Display information about public investment in
arts and culture on your website
• direct your visitors, supporters and social
media followers to the page to help them
understand why public investment in arts and
culture delivers good value
• include the line: ’Public funding for the arts
and culture costs each person in England
just 14p per week - to find out more visit
www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do
• explain how your work contributes towards to
building communities, local economy,
showcasing the best of Britain, boosting
tourism, supporting education and creating
employment
Good example: Royal Shakespeare Company website
1 / 2

10. Create a public value webpage
• demonstrate how your work contributes to
supporting children and young people
• give examples of key artistic successes,
audience figures etc.
• include quotes from visitors, teachers and
local business leaders
• be positive - celebrate what you are able to
achieve with public funding
• display an Arts Council England logo, which
links to our public-facing landing page
www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do
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Good example: Ironbridge website

11. How to contact your local MP
• visit www.parliament.uk to find out who your local MP is.
It is best to contact the MP via their constituency office (rather
than Westminster). Find the MP’s personal website
to get their constituency contact details.
• alternatively you can send a message via
www.theyworkforyou.com
• research your MP’s interests; for example memberships of
Select Committees and All Party Parliamentary groups to help
tailor your approach
• make your approach relevant to the MP’s constituency – if you
have a city or area-wide remit then it might be more appropriate
to ask a person who lives in the MPs constituency to contact
them first
The Night Pirates by Theatre Hullabaloo.
Photo: Mark Savage

12. Developing the
relationship with your MP
• invite your local MP to see your organisation’s work and then
regularly invite them to opening nights, launches and events
• if your invitation is accepted, suggest that you set up a photo
call with the local media
• provide regular updates on what your organisation is doing, for
example through press releases and your social networking
channels – remember to include key facts, figures and quotes
to show the impact of your work
• some MPs write a column for their local newspaper and may be
prepared to feature your organisation and a story about arts
funding if approached
• encourage people who have benefited from your work to write
to their MP expressing support for the work you do
Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda The
Musical. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
Copyright: RSC

13. Working with the media
Getting a relevant story into the media can help to
communicate messages about arts funding to MPs,
local authorities and other stakeholders.
• include a boilerplate statement in your press releases that
shows the positive outcomes of public investment
• our area communications teams may be able to provide you
with an Arts Council England quote for your press release
• positioning leaders or artists from your organisation as
spokespeople strengthens your message regionally and
nationally; a good spokesperson helps to get your story
into the news
• volunteer your spokespeople for discussion shows on regional
radio stations
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Creating the Spectacle! by Sue Austin.
Photo: Norman Lomax. Copyright:
Freewheeling

14. Working with the media
• some MPs write a column for their local newspaper and may be
prepared to feature your organisation and a story about arts
funding
• working with other arts organisations could strengthen your
message and make the story more newsworthy
• letters from audience members, friends and volunteers can
keep your story in the news and show newspaper editors where
readers’ interests lie
• a good photo or filming opportunity helps to get
coverage for your story
2 / 2
School children visit YSP's Jaume Plensa
exhibition. Photo Hannah Webster

15. Government agenda
It is important to understand how arts and culture promote the
broader objectives of local and national politicians:
• bringing communities together
• driving economic growth
• showcasing the best of Britain on the international stage and
boosting tourism
• supporting education
• Incubating talent for the creative industries
• creating employment
Can you demonstrate how your organisation has
contributed towards these?
Nick Hornby and children from St Monica's
Primary School at the opening of the Ministry
of Stories, November 2010.
Photo: Miriam Douglas

16. Circa and Fagiolini's How Like An Angel. Photo: Clint Randall

17. Where next?
For more information on how to
advocate for public investment in arts and culture visit:
www.artscouncil.org.uk/culturematters