State of the Region

IRS Framework Objective 3 - Culture

To provide better opportunities for people to value and enjoy the region's heritage and participate in cultural and recreational activities.

Key Messages

• There were over 10 million visits to tourist attractions in the East Midlands in 2006.
• Visits to the library per capita have fallen since 1992 but whilst there has been an increase since 2002 visits are still below that for the nation as a whole.
• National Trust membership in the East Midlands stood at 276,565 at February 2007 an increase on previous years.
• The proportion of English Heritage members in the region has remained relatively unchanged since 2004/05.

Commentary

A number of indicators are shown below, although it should be noted that data sources and agreed indicators are less well developed for the cultural sector than in other sectors. This is an issue being addressed through the development of Local Authority Comprehensive Performance Assessment with a ‘Culture Block’ for top tier authorities and culture indicators for district authorities. In the East Midlands, a Regional Cultural Observatory was established in 2006, as a ‘research arm’ of Culture East Midlands.

The Integrated Regional Strategy (February 2008) indicates that the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has developed strategic objectives for 2008-11; encouraging more widespread enjoyment of culture, media and sport; supporting talent and excellence in culture, media and sport; realising the economic benefits of the Department’s sectors; and delivering a successful and inspirational Olympic and Paralympics Games with a sustainable legacy. There are a number of non-departmental public bodies which support, develop and fund culture in the East Midlands. Local authorities in the region develop and deliver a number of substantial cultural activities across a range of their directorates. Culture East Midlands, the Regional Cultural Consortium works with these agencies and authorities to forward cultural sector interests in the region and produces the Regional Cultural Strategy (RCS). The RCS offers an agreed framework for cultural sector development in the region. The agencies also produce strategies for sectoral-specific development, and local authorities often produce cultural strategies for their local areas.

Figure 3.1 shows that the number of visits to tourist attractions has remained above 9,000,000 from 2000 to 2006 apart from in 2003 where there was a sharp decrease in numbers. The difference in visits across the counties can be seen in figure 3.2. Derbyshire and Northamptonshire have the highest number of visits to tourist attractions and Rutland has the lowest at 0. These figures are based on the top 20 free and paid attractions only so do not give a true reflection of total visits within each county and unitary authority.   

Figure 3.1 – Visits to tourist attractions in East Midlands: 2000 - 2006

Figure 3.2 – Visits to tourist attractions in county and unitary authorities: 2006

The number of library visits per capita in the East Midlands has declined since 1992 but since 2002 numbers have been increasing, as can be seen in figure 3.3. In 2005/06 the number of library visits per capita in the region rose to 5.3 but still remains below the national figure of 5.8.

Figure 3.3 – Number of library visits per capita in East Midlands: 1992 – 2005/06 

In 2005, there were 13,400 creative industries businesses and 62,500 people were employed in creative industries throughout the East Midlands. Between 2001 and 2005, creative industries jobs in the East Midlands increased by 8.1% and over the same period, the number of creative industries businesses in the region grew by 19.0%.

In 2005, the creative industries accounted for around 3.4% of all employment in the region, and around 8.3% of all businesses. (This represents a marginal increase in the creative industries’ share of the regional economy since 2001). In absolute terms, the numbers of creative industries jobs was higher in more urban districts as can be seen in figure 3.4. 

Figure 3.4 – Employment in Creative Industries and number of Creative Industries businesses in county and unitary authorities: 2005 

The Arts Council in its report Taking Part in the East Midlands – Headline findings from the first 12 months (May 2007) found that 42% of adults in the East Midlands both attended an arts event and participated in an arts activity in the past 12 months and 23% did not (See figure 3.5). Figure 3.6 shows that engagement rates in the East Midlands vary by socio-demographic factors. It can be seen that attendance at an art event and participation in an arts activity is higher for those from higher socio-economic groups.

Figure 3.5 – Percentage of adults engaging with the arts in the East Midlands during the past 12 months: May 2007

Figure 3.6 - Arts engagement in the East Midlands, by socio-economic group: May 2007

Indicators: IRS Framework Objective 3 - Culture

County and Unitary Indicators

Source: Visit England Questionnaire 2005/ East Midlands Cultural Observatory

Note only top 20 free and paid attractions included, hence no data for Rutland.

* Rutland is included within Leicester and Leicestershire figure

Further sources of evidence

• Nurick, Locum Destination Review, 2005.
• The Economic Impact of Sport in the East Midlands, KPP and York Consulting, emda 2004.
• Culture and Regeneration: An evaluation of the evidence, October 2004, Comedia.
• Taking Part in the East Midlands – Headline findings from the first 12 months, May 2007, Arts Council