Thousands of Artists, Including Sonia Boyce and John Akomfrah, Urge UK Government to Support the Arts

Several thousand artists and arts professionals recently signed a letter to the UK department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), strongly recommending that the incoming government support “a roadmap to sustain the visual arts for the long term.”

Among the more than 4,000 artists and arts professionals are Sonia Boyce, Britain’s Golden Lion–winning representative for the 2022 Venice Biennale, and John Akomfrah, the country’s representative for the 2024 Venice Biennale. Mona Hatoum, Jade Montserrat, George Shaw, and Haroon Mirza also signed the letter.

In June, about a week prior to the UK General Election, more than 20 visual arts organizations in the country put out a collective statement with policy recommendations “for the next UK government to help sustain and support the UK’s visual arts and artists.” One of those recommendations was the creation of a levy on the sales of smartphones to fund ­visual art in response to funding cuts, studio closures, and generative AI.

Other recommendations include the appointment of a “freelancer commissioner” who would advocacy for freelance visual artists and creative workers, as well as the establishment of a fund focused on collecting licensing revenue from the creation, sharing, and distribution of copyright-protected works on digital devices. There was also a proposal that would ensure annual visits to cultural organizations by school children as part of integrating “visual literacy into the national curriculum.”

According to the Art Newspaper, which first reported the news, the recently signed letter asks the UK government to consider these policy recommendations. The new letter was coordinated by DACS and A-N The Artists Information Company and Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN).

“Artists have been unsupported for too long, and the new government has the opportunity to put this right by investing in creative education, by supporting freelance artists, and by enabling new spaces for the creation of art, across the UK,” Akomfrah said in a written statement. “This manifesto provides a framework for the long-term success of the visual arts.”

Julie Lomax, the chief executive of A-N, added: “We feel confident that the government will agree to collaborate with us by making small changes, such as legislation, which will have a huge impact on the livelihoods of artists and the health of the visual arts in the UK.”

The new government budget will be delivered by Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on October 30.