Following the Chancellor’s announcement of increased investment in the UK’s creative sector in Labour’s first budget in 15 years, a new study has named Manchester as the best-funded city for creatives in England outside of London, with Northern cities dominating the upper echelons of the top 10.
Design studio Berlew’s Creative Funding Report, analysed arts funding across England, before assessing investment Arts Council England on a regional basis, to understand how much is spent annually, per 10,000 residents, on arts projects and cultural programmes across the nation. Berlew also looked at funding available for small and medium-sized business-led art and culture initiatives.
Cultural hub Manchester was named as the best city for creatives outside the capital – with a spend of £52,000 for every 10,000 residents. The city, which is home to a number of museums, galleries and small creative businesses, also recently welcomed Factory International, a global destination for arts, music and culture.
On top of this, Manchester’s Cultural Partnerships Grant programme, established in 2011, supports local businesses with grants of up to £40,000 annually – one of the highest amounts of all cities analysed.
Leeds, in second place, has seen over £28 million of investment, making a spend of over £53,000 for every 10,000 residents.
Rounding out the top 4 were Newcastle-upon-Tyne in third and Sheffield in fourth.
According to the research, and documentation available, Sheffield currently has the highest maximum amount on offer to arts and cultural organisation for funding opportunities, at up to £50,000 in its Cultural Pipeline Fund.
The budget saw Chancellor Rachel Reeves announce a boost in spending for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of 2.6%, including £3 million to grow the Creative Careers Programme.
It wasn’t all good news for the North, however. Preston took bottom place in the index, with a spend of less than half per 10,000 people than nearby Manchester, at £24,000 for every 10,000 residents – just over £2 per person. The Greater Manchester Borough of Rochdale also fared worse than its near-neighbour – businesses in Rochdale can apply for up to £500 through the Rochdale Borough Culture Network, a fraction of the amount that businesses in other cities can apply for – while Hull and Stoke-on-Trent also made the bottom 10.
Lewis Wilks, creative director at Berlew, said: “Cities like Manchester are leading the way in supporting creative growth, with per capita funding that’s clearly helping local artists, businesses and cultural hubs. However, the significant funding disparities across cities also highlight where vital grassroots support is still lacking – especially in smaller communities. With increased investment, we could see real, transformative growth in the creative sector nationwide, reaching underserved areas and strengthening local economies.”
To assess the impact of arts funding in England’s cities, Berlew used population size as a baseline, understanding that population affects local economic needs and potential impact of arts development. Berlew analysed England’s largest cities by population, according to ONS data, and reviewed funding data from Arts Council England for 2023-2026 to assess per capita funding for arts projects. Additionally, Berlew looked at relevant local council and local organisation sites in each city, to examine the maximum funding available from local councils for small and medium-sized business-led arts and community initiatives. These data points were combined into an index score out of 200, indicating a city’s arts funding impact, with higher scores signifying a greater positive influence on the local creative landscape.
