Corporates abandon arts organisations

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 9 Oct 2009

Corporate support of arts organisations has plummeted, according to a new report.

Nearly 70 per cent of arts organisations based in London reported a drop in income from business over the past six months, according to the latest survey by Arts & Business. Two-fifths of businesses surveyed by the organisation also reported plans to cut their investment in the arts even further.

But while business income has taken a steep dive, arts organisations have seen gains in other areas of income, particularly in trading. More than 81 per cent of organisations reported either an increase or stable income from gift shop and food sales.

Attendance levels also look strong, with two-thirds of organisations registering increased or steady levels.

Despite some positive results, the majority of organisations expect to be impacted by the recession for another 22 months, well into 2011, and most plan to expand their fundraising activity in order to combat the predicted further strain on income.

Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts & Business, said it is vital that arts bodies broaden their income streams. “We need to work collectively and develop new ways to leverage more private money into the system. Legacies, matched funding schemes and board giving will all potentially become more and more significant streams of private funding for the arts.”

Tweedy predicted that total income into the arts sector was likely to remain below recent peaks for some years. “It is still difficult to predict the coming years, though our analysis suggests it is unlikely we will surpass the £686m figure of 2007/08 until after 2013.”

Who's Who: Celina Ribeiro

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