According to Artnet.com, "A new study in the UK has quantified just how much arts offerings influence people's choice to relocate or stay in a particular city. And as it turns out, the presence of arts and culture overwhelmingly affected respondents' sense of well-being and satisfaction, their attachment to a place, and their sense of community. In fact, citizens gave as much weight to the presence of culture as the presence of good schools when making a decision about where to settle."
The British study, entitled "Value of Arts and Culture in Place-Shaping," found art and culture positively impacts places in the following ways:
- Promoting wellbeing 65% of people think that arts and culture are good for wellbeing, and 36% think arts and culture are "essential to life."
- Attracting a variety of people to live and work in an area 44% of people who remained in an area, and 43% who moved to an area, cited arts and culture as an important factor in their decision equal to the numbers of people citing schools.
- Helping build communities 49% of people think attending arts and cultural events helps them feel part of a community, with 68% thinking these events are very important for fostering community feeling.
- Supporting high streets Arts and cultural organisations are helping to fill the gap left as retail moves away from high streets. (Ed. note: "High streets" is the British term for the primary business street of a town or community.) By offering unique experiences, these organisations are helping to attract visitors and increase footfall, promoting high streets as attractive places to live, work and visit.
1
1
1
