Artists call on new government to support the visual arts

Over 4000 artists and arts professionals have co-signed a letter to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, backing policy recommendations to support the visual arts sector, that were developed by 24 visual arts organisations.

The letter has been signed by 4,223 artists and arts professionals including artists Dame Sonia Boyce, Sir John Akomfrah, Mona Hatoum, and Heather Phillipson, asking the new government to consider short-term policy recommendations including:

• the introduction of the Smart Fund, a private copying scheme that could generate around £300 million/ year in copyright revenues for creatives and visual artists.
• the appointment of a Freelancer Commissioner to advocate for the working rights of freelancers in the visual arts sector and across the creative industries.

In the longer term, the group calls for the extension of the Museum and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief, a new Creative and Cultural Agreement with the EU, and planning reforms to incentivise the creation of artists’ studios and creatives spaces. In addition to economic support, the manifesto calls for a curriculum that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and empathy, stressing the importance of investing in creative education. It advocates for the integration of visual literacy into the national curriculum at Key Stage 2 and ensuring every school child visits a cultural organisation every year.

“Artists have been unsupported for too long, and the new Government has the opportunity to put this right – by investing in creative education, by supporting freelance artists, and by enabling new spaces for the creation of art, across the UK. This Manifesto provides a framework for the long-term success of the Visual Arts."
Sir John Akomfrah, who is representing Britain at the 2024 Venice Biennale

The letter and a full list of signatories is available here.

Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CCAN) is an organisation where the visual arts meet policy change. They work in partnership with our nine regional networks across England to campaign and advocate for the visual arts sector at a national level; and create programmes of support for artists and art workers and develop organisational support that promotes learning and knowledge. CVAN campaigns for the sector to be heard, valued and recognised so that the visual arts can thrive now and in the future. https://cvan.art/