Placing a value on culture

Economic valuation techniques already used in central government and recommended by the Treasury should also be used by the cultural sector to demonstrate its value to central government, according to a new report to the DCMS. The report, ‘Measuring the value of culture’, was prepared by Dr David O’Brien from Leeds Metropolitan University, and explores the debates around cultural value, the meaning of culture and the reasons why it is so difficult to place a value on culture. It also recommends that the DCMS should consult with cultural economists and the cultural sector to create clear guidance on how to use these methods. It was commissioned by the DCMS in response to recognition, both within central government and in parts of the publically funded cultural sector, of the need to articulate the value of culture more clearly. It is part of a wider programme of work aiming to improve the understanding of culture and methodology for measuring this.