Workplace art and culture ‘improves productivity’

Arts and culture in offices can help tackle "work disengagement" among employees, a new report has claimed.

The Art of the Workplace Report found that "enriched environments" that include a combination of art displays and cultural or well-being events can improve how workers feel about their jobs. In turn, this can boost contentment at work and increase productivity.

The report’s authors said: “We know that art creates places that work; where people feel valued and where they will enjoy working, now and in the future.”

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Commissioned by Brookfield Properties, a global property developer, an online survey was carried out by research agency Prospectus Global. This gathered feedback from more than 3,000 office workers based in 11 UK cities, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Participants ranged from those working in "highly-enriched, artfully decorated" offices, to those in "lean spaces" with little more than corporate branding on display. Access to cultural activity at work varied widely, from those who experienced regular arts and social events to those who had none.

Re-examining the office

Dan Scanlon, Executive Vice President of Brookfield Properties, said the impact of the pandemic meant that many companies are "re-examining their working environments and engagement with their employees”.

He added: “We hope the Art of the Workplace Report will help support the business case for employers to invest in creating spaces and cultures that enrich their employees' lives – not just their productivity and creativity at work, but their mental health and well-being as a whole – and aid future planning for the workplace.”

Quoted in the report, Corrie Jackson, Senior Curator at Royal Bank of Canada, said that having art in offices was an aid to creativity.

"Art makes you realise that working through things can have any number of answers," she said.

"We have art in offices around the world and I'm confident that it brings people together and makes them think differently."

Inspired by art and culture

In keeping with what an August 2022 study by Robert Walters HR dubbed a "disengagement crisis" among workers in the UK, only 24% of Art of the Workplace respondents said they felt inspired by their job.

However, the report found that among those workers whose office environment was "enriched" with art displays, this rose to 39%. Similarly, among those workers who were exposed to a large range of cultural, well-being and social events, 34% agreed that they felt inspired by their jobs. This compared with just 13% among those who did not benefit from this kind of exposure.

Respondents were also asked whether their office environment encouraged them to be creative at work. Only 18% strongly agreed with this, but among those in enriched spaces with regular access to cultural events this rose significantly to 32%.

Of those who benefited from having art pieces in the workplace, 69% said this contributed to their well-being at work. In terms of events, 77% said these contributed to their well-being.

The report concludes: 'The message is clear. If you want to have a workforce who feels engaged and inspired by their jobs, a key step is to redraw the office, making space for art and cultural and wellness events."