Together for the arts.

Over 230,000 people have joined the Public Campaign for the Arts since we launched in June 2020, from every one of the UK’s 650 Parliamentary constituencies.

When the Covid-19 pandemic threatened the survival of our cultural sector, more than 150,000 PCA supporters urged the Government to introduce the £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund. Their role was featured in Alan Yentob’s BBC One documentary, imagine…we’ll be back.

In March 2021 the PCA’s first local campaign prevented a 37% cut to arts organisations in Nottingham. In February 2022, Windsor and Maidenhead Council abandoned a 100% cut to arts funding and approved a 17% increase, after a PCA campaign backed by Russell Brand, Mark Watson, Rachel Parris, Stephen K Amos and former UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

“I pay tribute to the Public Campaign for the Arts and their supporters for their campaigning … I know this will have made a difference.” – Theresa May

During the pandemic, the PCA’s Arts Map – an online platform enabling anyone to find and support arts organisations near them – created an unprecedented support link between members of the public and the cultural sector.

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What we believe

1

Art and culture make life better.

2

The arts and their benefits should be available to all.

3

Everyone should have opportunities to express and develop their creativity.

What we do

We campaign to protect and promote:

National public investment

Treasury funding per person to Arts Council England was cut by 41% between 2009/10 and 2017/18.

We want to see increased and sustained cultural investment from central Government to every part of the UK, so the benefits of the arts can be felt by all.

Recent campaigns

Local arts provision

The arts connect people with places, enrich our communities and help us express local identity.

Even as we acknowledge the pressures on their funding, we want local authorities to support cultural spaces, organisations and activities, so that creativity can flourish in every community.

Recent campaigns

Access and opportunity for all

Nobody should face barriers to the arts because of their income, education or background.

We want action for a more open and diverse cultural landscape – one in which everybody has the opportunity to experience and participate in the arts.

Recent campaigns

Explore our history and achievements

How we do it

Connecting

We unite people across the UK who want to support the arts. Then we connect to people, places and causes in need of support.

Our Supporters’ Network reaches into every one of the UK’s 650 Parliamentary constituencies.

Our Arts Map brings together listings for over a thousand arts organisations nationwide.

Sharing

We gather and share crucial information about the benefits of the arts and the issues affecting them.

We platform the voices of our supporters and others in the creative industries, academia and civil society.

We also commission original research to evidence public benefit and support.

Taking action

We take action, individually and collectively, to protect and promote the arts in our society. 

We run petitions and create original campaign tools to ensure our voices are heard by decision makers.

Why we do it

The arts improve our mental health and wellbeing.

They help to alleviate anxiety, depression and stress.

They spark our imaginations, enable us to identify and express our concerns and help generate a sense of purpose.

They help us with major life challenges by making us feel more empowered, engaged and resilient.

The arts improve our social lives and community cohesion.

They bring us together, so we can share thoughts and feelings, make meaningful connections and imagine new possibilities.

They help us to understand and empathise with others, building bridges so we can live together better.

They give us a shared identity and sense of belonging.

The arts improve our economy, both locally and nationally.

The arts industries contribute £10.8billion a year to the UK.

They generate income for our local businesses and a wide range of other sectors: from hospitality to retail, transport to tourism.

They cultivate our creativity, driving greater innovation and entrepreneurship.

Current campaigns

Our people

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