Sound Diplomacy was engaged by the UK Theatre (UKT)  and the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) to undertake an in-depth analysis of the economic dynamics within the UK theatre sector. The objective of this project was to equip SOLT and UKT with a comprehensive understanding of the sector's economic contributions, particularly in the context of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 The result is a detailed mapping of the UK theatre ecosystem, encompassing a broad spectrum of assets across the country, comprehensive economic impact and consumer spend analysis, providing UKT and SOLT with the insights needed to guide future strategies. 

KEY FINDINGS

The UK theatre sector:

• Delivers £2.39 billion in Gross Value Add (GVA) to the UK economy

• Supports 204,993 jobs including freelancers

• Generates a total turnover of £4.44 billion every year

In 2019, the 41.6 million attendance to theatre performances in the UK generated an estimated spend of £3.67 billion in the UK economy. This is equivalent to a spend of £88.46 per attendee. For every £1 spent on a theatre ticket, an additional spend of £1.40 is generated in local economies.

SOLT and UKT have used the reports from Sound Diplomacy to inform the SOLT & UKT Priorities for an Incoming Government documentation, which has been used to communicate the impact of the UK’s theatre sector to education leaders.

SOLT and UKT were able to demonstrate the importance of Theatre for Every Child, a movement to ensure school-aged youth are able to attend and experience theatre during their school years.