Don't keep us waiting for arts investment
New report shows Manchester and Liverpool arts organisations driving economic growth | Latest NW arts news
Brilliant, although perhaps not surprising, to see North West arts organisations highlighted as great examples of how the creative industries can drive economic growth in a new national report by the Centre for Economic and Business Research. It must have been a challenge for the report’s authors to pick out just three in the region given the huge contribution culture has made to the local economy.
They are Lowry, which was used as the catalyst for the development of Media City in Salford; Factory International and Manchester International Festival, which has “attracting substantial national and international audiences, generating extensive local spending”, and Liverpool Biennial, which has driven tourism and contributed to urban regeneration by using empty buildings as venues.
The figures are impressive - the Biennial generated £24m in 2023, including more than £13m from visitors spending money on things like hotel rooms and eating out. This is an 86% increase on 2018 (and a massive 325% increase on 2021 but you can’t really count that because of Covid). Aviva Studios, Factory International’s home, is projected to contribute £1.1bn to Manchester’s economy over a decade, while supporting 1,500 direct and indirect jobs.
It’s exciting, and I nearly typed “this shows it’s time to take the arts seriously as a driver of economic growth”, but we’ve seen reports like this before and witnessed first hand how Liverpool’s Capital of Culture title slowed the impact of the following national recession. It’s been time to take this seriously for two decades. The arts are playing their part - now we need government, local and national, to do theirs by supporting them.
Latest arts news
🌻 The run of immersive multimedia experiences Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet has been extended for an additional two weeks due to demand since tickets went on sale in February. They will now be at Exhibition Centre Liverpool from Tuesday, July 15 to Friday, August 15.
🎫 Director Gitika Buttoo and writer and storyteller afshan d-souza-lodhi, will be taking over the North Warehouse at Aviva Studios in Manchester from Wednesday, May 7 to Sunday, May 11 as part of Factory International’s fourth Artist Takeover. The experience will unfold as a journey through space and sensation in an immersive, sensory-led show that asks how we navigate power, proximity, and community, especially as strangers.
🧵 Vivienne Westwood: Designer in Focus, a new display celebrating the groundbreaking fashion designer's remarkable career spanning over five decades, has opened at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. It features key pieces from her most influential collections, including rare items from her collaborations with Malcolm McLaren during the early 1980s. The display runs until October 2026.
🎨 Liverpool Art Fair will be back at the Royal Liver Building this summer, continuing its mission to make art accessible to everyone. Last year, which marked the 10th anniversary, was the most successful event yet, with 204 artists exhibiting, nearly 40% selling their work and sales increasing 35% from the previous year. Artist submissions are open from now until Sunday, May 25 (details here) and the event will run from Friday, July 11 to Monday, August 25.
In case you missed it
Now booking
There’s a Monster in Your Show will end its third major UK tour at Lowry, Salford, from Tuesday, May 27 to Sunday, June 1. Now seen by over 45,000 children and their families, the high-energy 50-minute adventure features original music written by Tom Fletcher and Barrie Bignold.
Opening this week
Cath Rice and Andrew Schofield star in Making It, opening at Liverpool’s Royal Court on Thursday, May 1. After forty years as a singer, actress and cabaret diva, Bev has seen it all and had nothing. She is backstage at the Kirkby Boilermakers and Shipbuilders social club which is the kind of place that you only play twice, once on the way up and once on the way down. This is her return gig. Ends Saturday, May 17.
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I’m off now to buy a copy of Monsters: What Do We Do With Great Art By Bad People? by Claire Dederer, as it’s something I’ve been pondering for a long while. In the meantime, you can get hold of me on Instagram, on Bluesky, in the comments or by replying to this email.
Have a great week,
Laura
P.S. Open call for artists to exhibit in Drawing (Paper) Show during Liverpool Biennial.
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