We're spending just $20 per person on arts, culture, and media while our peers in comparable countries invest $252 per person—meaning we're getting by on less than 10% of what they do, with 92% of our spending below their median. This isn’t just tight-fisted, it’s a national embarrassment when we’re leaving millions of artists, creators, and local stories starved for resources while the rest of the world pours real money into keeping their cultures alive and thriving.
The numbers behind the demand
Pledges (2)
“Today, we spend just $20 per person on arts, culture, and media, compared with $252 per person in comparable countries. That leaves us investing at less than 10% of their level, with 92% of our spending below their median. We can do better. We pledge to significantly expand public investment in arts, culture, and media—giving artists, creators, cultural institutions, journalists, and local communities the resources they need to create, preserve, and share our stories. We will invest in local cultural production, emerging artists, independent media, creative industries, cultural heritage, and access to the arts, ensuring that cultural opportunity is not concentrated only in major cities or among established institutions. A nation should not have to choose between economic development and cultural vitality. Our artists deserve the resources to create. Our communities deserve the means to preserve their stories. And our culture deserves investment worthy of its importance.”
“Our party will deliver this demand by supporting and passing "The Growth & Investment Budget" currently open for voting, which increases arts, culture, and media allocation to $259 per person—exceeding the $230 target. Moving forward, we will secure long-term funding mechanisms, expand public grants for local creators, and institutionalize minimum cultural investment floors in future budget cycles to ensure sustainable support for artists.”