"The arts can change our lives for the better, and it can happen in an instant...Figures show that in 2015 the contribution to the economy of the arts and culture grew by 10.4 per cent to £11.8 billion, five times the growth rate of the UK economy as a whole. The Government is making £5 in taxes for every £1 it puts into the sector.
At present, London is our powerhouse, offering 45 per cent of jobs in the sector. From film companies and theatres in the West End to the Whitechapel Gallery and young designers in east London, London is a vast “creative cluster” of cultural organisations and creative industries....Imagine if London’s model could be replicated nationally. We need to build “creative clusters”, large and small, as generators for new talent and business, across the UK. Public investment in art and culture came as a response to the people’s appetite for the arts during the war; it has gone on to be one of the great legacies of that era...With more resources we could reach more places that still lack basic cultural experience and opportunity. That would be a fantastic investment in all our futures."