According to a new survey, one in three British artists doubt they will be able to continue working professionally in five years.
The true impact of the cost of living crisis on UK artists has been revealed by a new survey by London-based charity Acme, which claims to be the UK’s largest provider of affordable artists’ studios.
“To be a practicing artist in the UK is to live with survival issues every day,” said David Panton, the founder of Acme, in a statement shared with The Arts Journal.
The survey, titled THE Acme survey of tenant artistshighlights the widespread implications that the cost of living crisis, coupled with growing pressures on the UK’s cultural sector, have had on artists working in the UK.
The survey also revealed that 40% of artists surveyed said they could not afford to contribute to a pension plan or save money.
Notably, the professional practice of the artists surveyed accounted for only 33% of their overall income, with many having to resort to other means of earning money. Only 12% of the artists questioned declare that their practice represents their sole source of income.
“The financial, practical and intellectual challenges that artists face mean that they must constantly find solutions – and, increasingly, justifications – for a way of life that may seem at odds with the rest of the world. society,” Panton said.
Acme, which has provided studio space to artists like Grayson Perry and Hew Locke over its 50-year history, will release the full report of the Artist Tenant Survey on July 13.
Acme spoke to 226 of the 850 tenant artists who rent a studio from the charity. Acme survey of tenant artists was conducted between November 2021 and April 2022.
