Are recessions good for the arts? Admissions to Britain’s free public museums and galleries were up 2 per cent in 2008, and most have reported increases of over 10 per cent in 2009.
Are recessions good for the arts? Admissions to Britain’s free public museums and galleries were up 2 per cent in 2008, and most have reported increases of over 10 per cent in 2009. Tickets for the big touring shows are selling well. West End theatre box-office revenues were up 3.5 per cent in the first six months of this year. This winter we can enjoy a multitude of entertainments as wonderful or as wacky as ever.
So is everything rosy? Well, no. It is true that stocks are high, quality is high and queues are long. But this masks problems in future supplies. Funders, investors and producers are worried.
Many museums and galleries are looking anxiously at America where the crisis has severely hit ticket and merchandise sales.
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