The importance of arts and culture in Birmingham
This blog was written as part of the 2025 Birmingham Economic Review, an annual report produced by University of Birmingham/City-REDI in partnership with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. Read the full report.
By Marina Di-Bella Diaz de Leon, Development Manager for Corporate Partnerships and Public Support Birmingham Museums Trust
“By the gains of industry we promote art”.
This statement, carved on the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s inscription stone, represents how relevant art was perceived to be by city leaders in the late 1800s.
To truly understand the role of arts and culture in a city like Birmingham—with its outstanding mix of cultures and histories—we must move beyond economics alone and recognise how these heritage elements forge social identity, promote civic pride and foster social cohesion. That said, the economic lens does help these deeper values become visible, and the data increasingly shows the multiple layers of impact that arts and culture have.
Economy and growth
According to recent research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) for Arts Council England (ACE), the wider arts and culture sector delivered £19.1 billion Gross Value Added (GVA) in England in 2023, with publicly funded organisations accounting for £1.35 billion and 11% of the employment (28,000 jobs).
At a regional level, a report by the University of Birmingham showed the cultural and creative sector’s GVA in 2022 stood at £34.6 billion (1.6% of UK GVA). Moreover, arts and culture have yet again proven to be a driver for tourism. In 2024, Birmingham saw a 10% increase in tourist expenditure connected to concerts, theatre, museums and galleries, among other recreational activities.
This economic context is vital, although in Birmingham it serves a deeper purpose.
Social identity, civic pride and cohesion
One of the most powerful aspects of culture is the way it anchors people to place and to each other. Historic England’s research on heritage places and wellbeing estimated that everyday encounters with heritage in England generate an annual wellbeing value of £29 billion, even before the value of active participation is considered—simply the presence of historic places contributes meaningfully to life satisfaction.
Historic England further emphasises that heritage encompasses identity, empowerment and connection, helping to shape how communities see themselves and how they relate to place. In Birmingham, the local Cultural Development Service also links arts and culture to sense of place, highlighting that “investing in arts and culture has important social and wellbeing impacts on citizens”.
Why this matters for Birmingham’s future
For a city like Birmingham, with its long history of innovation and making, varied demographics, multiple migration histories, and fast-changing economy, the role of arts and culture is especially significant. It provides a space where difference becomes strength rather than fragmentation: where new arrivals and established communities can find shared space and shared memory: where civic pride isn’t just about sports teams or skyscrapers, but about a living culture that belongs to everyone.
As investment in the arts, culture and heritage continues to fall, at a time when society needs them more than event, cultural organisations of all sizes are looking to create strategic and meaningful partnerships. For the business community, culture is a driver of quality of life, talent attraction, place-making and competitive urban edge. For the public sector, culture is a medium to foster shared belonging and social cohesion. The third sector captures the community spirit which motivates many charities and voluntary organisations and thousands of individual volunteers to dedicate themselves to improving the lives of others.
For residents, culture is a mirror, a stage and a meeting place—and a great day out. The private, public and third sectors need to identify synergies, and work together to ensure that Birmingham is more than the sum of its parts—that it is a city with heart and soul, where everyone can feel they belong. For 2025 and beyond, we must champion arts and culture not as a sector among many, but as an integral pillar of civic life.
