Culture and Heritage in the UK: Voluntary and Commercial Sectors

The exact level of current public sector support for the culture and the heritage in the UK varies greatly according to the definition used. However, public funding probably totals around 2 billion per year, with local government's contribution amounting to rather more than half of the total, and subsidised cultural bodies earn at least as much again at the box office and through trading and other fund-raising activities. In contrast with this, the best estimates suggest an annual turnover of the UK's `cultural industries' in the range of £15 billion to £20 billion - perhaps over 30 billion per year if the UK's role in the international art market is added. Consequently in total the UK's large and vibrant non-governmental sector - both voluntary (mainly charitable) and commercial are cumulatively major players in the nation's cultural provision. The range of organisations and activities is so wide that it is extremely difficult to summarise these, but important examples include:

Charitable (`Non-Profit') Sector
Building-based: arts centres, theatres, independent museums, galleries, historic buildings and monuments, heritage centres, building-based orchestras eg.:
Mary Rose Maritime Museum, Portsmouth
Eureka! Children's Museum, Halifax
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
Jorvic Viking Centre. York
Royal Shakespeare Company , Stratford upon Avon and London
Royal National Theatre, London
Shakespeare's Globe, London
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Non-building based: other orchestras, touring dance, opera, theatre, community arts etc., eg.:
London Symphony Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
Halle Orchestra
London Bubble Theatre Company
Tara Arts Asian Theatre Company
National Trust: charitable voluntary organisation operating under its own Act of Parliament with many special privileges, founded to preserve features of importance to the national heritage of England, Wales and Northern Ireland - countryside, coastline, archaeological sites, historic buildings, castles etc., many with museums or interpretation centres, and a growing number with active arts programmes
National Trust for Scotland: closely parallels the National Trust, but in respect of Scotland
Other charitable heritage and arts facilities

Commercial sector
London ("West End") Theatre: Official London Theatre Website
Commercial touring theatre
Music promotions: classical, light music, pop etc.
Recording industry
Film TV, Video, Audio
Newspapers and magazines
The art trade, including dealers' and other commercial galleries
Privately-owned museums, galleries and monuments - great variety of all sizes, including great Historic Houses open to the public)
Company museums of commercial enterprises

© 2007. City University, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, United Kingdom. Last updated by Patrick Boylan 11th November 2007