Arts and culture are the backbone of British society. But how do Brits feel about the challenges facing these industries? This week we decided to discover the British public’s attitudes to art and culture. Let’s begin!

Let’s start with the big picture. We asked, is art and culture important for a healthy society, and for the UK economy? The results show a significant majority for both their importance for a healthy society (62%) and to the economy (57%).

Access to art and culture in local communities has been gradually decreasing for some time, with many popular locations at risk of closure. We asked, how important (5) or unimportant (1) do Brits think it is to have access to cultural spaces in their local community?

Next up, we asked if Brits / if people had noticed a closure or reductions in any of these cultural institutions in their local area in the last 10 years? It seems that youth clubs are at the highest risk of closure at 36%. However 31% reported “none of these”.

We asked, do you think art and culture have become too politicised recently? 

Next up we asked to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘Art and Culture is primarily for the upper class’

Due to the cost of living crisis, many people have had to cut back on their spending. We asked, to what extent, if at all, has the UK cost of living crisis affected your ability to engage with arts and culture? The results show that the majority of people have been affected (22% ‘a great deal’ and 36% ‘somewhat’)

Our polling found that when wanting to watch a movie, only 1 in 5 (20%) of people in the UK would go to a Cinema, compared to 67% who would stay at home. When we asked about the motives behind staying at home for those that do, 70% do so because it’s cheaper than going to the cinema.

Turning to STEM and arts funding now. We asked how funding should be balanced between the arts and humanities and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) subjects.

Of those that chose more funding for one than the other, Brits were three times as likely to support greater funding for STEM than greater funding for Arts and Humanities.

And finally, onto the fascinating and often polarising topic of AI. We asked, how do you think AI will affect the future of the creative industries? Almost a third said that they think AI will mostly harm creative industries. However, the majority are unsure of its implications.

Lastly, we asked, should AI companies be allowed to use copyrighted material to train their models without compensating the original creators?. 58% of respondents said it should not be allowed.

That’s all for now, folks. This week’s poll was conducted on 22nd-23rd August '24, to 1,359 people & weighted to a nat rep population. Search “WeThink polling” on all your social media channels & you’ll find us.