Government spent £1.5m on artworks during the pandemic

The government has spent £1.5m on art for official buildings since the start of the pandemic, according to an investigation by the Big Issue.

Figures released by DCMS show that between April 2020 and March 2021, £743,000 was spent on new art, a 70% increase on the year before (£437,000 between April 2019 to March 2020). 

The figure increased again last year, with £783,000 spent between April 2021 and March 2022.

DCMS says the collection, which has over 14,000 items, promotes British art, culture and creativity, with displays in 129 countries that “make an important contribution to the UK’s cultural diplomacy”.

Critics have slammed the increased purchases amid civil service job cuts and rising cost of living. Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents civil servants, branded the spending “a vanity project”.

“That the government would prioritise spending money on art ahead of protecting jobs or giving civil servants a pay rise is grotesque.”