From Olympians to musicians: What sport can teach the arts

A recent article by Richard Morrison in The Times – "We cut arts funding but spent £4m on each Olympic medal. Is that fair?" – struck a chord. Widely shared on social media among my music colleagues, his critique highlights the financial challenges faced by arts organisations and contrasts these with the substantial investments made in Olympic sports. 

While the article raises valid concerns about the disparity in funding, comparing arts and sports funding in such a binary way is too simplistic to be helpful. Instead of fostering resentment, we could view the funding dynamics in sports as a model from which the arts could learn and benefit. 

Years of neglect

By adapting successful sports strategies, we can potentially address the systemic issues in the arts sector and create a more balanced and thriving cultural landscape. Although there are many similarities across performing art forms, I have framed my argument from my own experience in western classical music.

The arts sector faces severe financial constraints due to years of chronic underfunding. Many describe the situation as critical with the profound benefits of the arts being increasingly misunderstood or undervalued. This is further compounded by reduced investment in music education at all levels, particularly in the state sector. 

Despite inspirational work by organisations and individuals to sustain the arts, the overall picture remains bleak. Many in the arts community are pinning hopes on the new government but what’s really needed is not just more funding but a radical overhaul of policy, infrastructure and the culture surrounding the arts to reverse years of neglect.

Different societal roles

Morrison’s binary choice between funding for sports and the arts is both reductive and unhelpful. Sports and the arts serve different societal roles and have distinct measurements of success. Sports benefit from clearer, objective metrics – competitions, titles, and records – while the arts are judged more subjectively, making any direct comparison difficult. 

But he also overlooks an important point: the value of sports goes beyond winning medals. Athletes who receive elite training often go on to positively influence their sport and society, even without the accolades. Similarly, musicians who have received a high level of training but may not have pursued a performance career can have an enormous impact through education and community engagement. 

A large part of the cost of developing an elite athlete lies in the comprehensive, multidisciplinary support they receive such as nutrition, strength and conditioning, psychological support, often starting in adolescence. If the arts adopted such a person-centred approach, we would recognise that being a musician is about far more than mastering an instrument and studying the music. 

By creating broader support systems that expand a musician’s fundamental education to include psychological skills training, instrument-specific strength and ongoing physiotherapy, the next generation of musicians could be better equipped for a sustainable, innovative and fulfilling career.

Audience engagement

Sports generally attract larger audiences and generate substantial revenue streams that arts organisations can only aspire to. 

Such audience engagement is another area where the arts can learn from sports. Sports events capture public interest not just through competition, but by telling the personal stories of the athletes, creating emotional investment. 

In contrast, classical music often fails to tell the human stories behind the art. Musicians, too, face struggles, make sacrifices, and overcome adversity to perform at the highest level, but these narratives are rarely shared. 

If the arts were more open to showing the vulnerability behind the performances, they could build deeper emotional connections with their audiences, making concerts and performances more engaging and meaningful.

No standardised training

Each sport is overseen by a governing body, such as UK Sport, that not only manages its development but also ensures standards, qualifications of staff, and societal impact are maintained. In my own area of psychology, I could train to become a registered sport and exercise psychologist, but no such role exists in the arts. 

The 1:1 relationship between music teacher and student is vital to a musician’s development, yet often there’s no regulation or standardised training required to become a music teacher. Being a performer is often deemed sufficient. 

As Morrison suggests, athletes are elevated by the term ‘elite’, but for musicians, being labelled elite can be frustratingly alienating, suggesting exclusivity rather than excellence. In instances such as these, rather than defensiveness, we should practice curiosity. 

For a transformation to happen honest reflection on current practices and culture of the industry is required for all. All too often great initiatives are developed upon the sinking sands of tradition, resulting in a shortfall of intended levels of engagement and diversity. 

Building a more inclusive, thriving environment

Understanding what sports have done right – building wider support systems for athletes, commissioning and utilising evidence-based research, engaging audiences through embracing vulnerability, setting standards and regulation for professional practice – could help us develop innovative strategies and set in motion a culture change that will improve the arts. 

While there is no disagreement that the arts need substantially more funding to thrive, adopting a more evidence-based, person-centred approach, and developing infrastructure that supports all aspects of being an artist, we could create a more inclusive and thriving cultural environment. 

This isn’t about competing with sports but about learning from and collaborating with them to ensure the arts are a compelling funding proposition recognised as equally vital to society. Ultimately, this could lead to a more resilient, creative and accessible cultural sector.

Michelle Robinson is a PhD student in the School of Sports, Exercise and Health Science at Loughborough University.
 lboro.ac.uk/schools/sport-exercise-health-sciences/
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