The APDIG are delighted to launch our latest report, produced in collaboration with Contemporary Visual Arts Network. Visual Arts: The Beating Heart and Soul of Building Back Better calls for Government to exploit the potential of the Visual Arts sector to grow the economy following the Covid-19 pandemic, through explicit growth targets and rolling over existing tax incentives.

The first lockdown and social distancing measures introduced in response to Covid-19 have had a detrimental impact on the creative industries, with a projected £74bn turnover loss over the course of 2020. COVID is also expected to be responsible for 406,000 job losses for the sector – of which over two thirds to be self-employed.

In July, the Government announced a support package of £1.75bn for the creative industries which, while hugely beneficial in the short-term, is not sufficient on its own, and more direct support must be shown to the Visual Arts in order for the sector to survive. This report lays out five key recommendations to support the industry as we begin to move back into a tiered system following a second lockdown.

The report will be formally launched on Monday 14th December 2020 with the support of Lord Vaizey.