Ixia survey suggests slump in public art sector

A shrinking public art sector was masked last year by the Cultural Olympiad, according to Ixia, England’s public art think tank. The Public Art Survey 2012  reveals that the number of people employed in the core public art sector fell by 20% on 2011 figures to an estimate of just 1,000 people. The overall value of the employment market, including salaried posts, artists and consultants fell by around 28% from an estimated £23.3m during 2011 to just £16.7m. The total value of the sector is now calculated to be £53m, a 6% decrease on the previous year – a smaller decline than expected, due to the £11m boost from the Cultural Olympiad. This is the second consecutive year that Ixia has run a survey of the public art sector, gathering information from 600 participants, 400 of whom are employed in the UK public art sector.