About us
Investment in the arts
The National LotteryRegular funding for organisations
Own Art
Between 2006 and 2008 we will invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and the National Lottery in supporting the arts. This is the bedrock of support for the arts in England.
National Lottery
The arts are one of the core good causes supported by the National Lottery. Since the National Lottery began in November 1994, it has injected around £2 billion into the arts.
The lottery has funded projects ranging from the Angel of the North, Tate Modern and The Lowry to instruments for brass bands and equipment for village halls. Audiences around the country enjoy new and refurbished arts buildings, and a huge range of arts activity.
Lottery money funds Grants for the arts, our main open application funding programme. This includes events, activities for people to take part in, equipment, improvements to facilities and buildings, and touring.
How the arts has benefited from National Lottery funds*
| Total value of lottery awards to the arts | £2.17 billion |
| Total number of awards | 25,035 |
| Number of awards over £1million | 292 | How much has been invested in capital projects | £1.46 billion |
Spend by art form
| Music | £491 million | Visual arts | £484 million | Theatre/drama | £568 million | Combined arts | £322 million | Dance | £208.5 million | General** | £64 million | Literature | £28 million |
* all figures are from November 1994 to March 2006
**this covers funding for non-specific art forms or activities such as training, development and marketing
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Regular funding for organisations
We regularly fund around 880 arts organisations, and we will invest £1.3 billion between 2008 and 2011. Our support helps bring high quality work to a wide range of people - as both audience and participants.
Find out more about our regular funding for organisations.
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Own Art
Own Art is Arts Council England's new interest free loan scheme. It is designed to make it easy and affordable for people to buy contemporary works of art including paintings, photography, sculpture, glassware and furniture. Around 250 galleries across the country are participating in our scheme. You can buy art, interest free, from any of these.
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National Lottery 10th birthday logo
Textile wallhanging by Margaret Roberts. Margaret Roberts’ work is available through the Own Art scheme at the Bluestone Gallery, Devizes, Wiltshire.
Related information
For general enquiries, phone:
0845 300 6200
textphone:
020 7973 6564
Fill in our enquiry form