In March 2009 Artquest asked its newsletter subscribers to tell us their experiences of funding and finance - where they get income, what they spend money on, and their general attitudes to loans, grants and other forms of income generation.

The results of this report will inform future Artquest projects and information published to help artists understand the full implication of all the funding and finance sources open to them.

The report, by Claire Antrobus Consulting, has uncovered some startling results:

• 45% of respondents felt strongly they don't have the funding or finance they need to make and develop their practice.
• Only 16% of respondents sell work.
• 66& of artists make less than £15,000 per annum.
• 68% spend less than £5,000 on their work per annum.
• 48% of artists make their primary income from non-arts related work.
• About 80% of respondents applied to Arts Council England's Grants for the Arts fund, with just under half being successful.
• Personal finance and informal lending and donations from friends and family form a significant part of the artists' economy.
• 93% of artists are 'not sure' of their loan finance options.
• 60% of artists plan their finances less than 12 months ahead.

Above: sources of funding for development costs

You can read the full report by downloading the document in a variety of formats below.

• Download: The funding and finance needs of artists (Word, 488k)
• Download: The funding and finance needs of artists (PDF, 1.6MB)
• Download: The funding and finance needs of artists (Text only, 28k, no images)

For more information or to comment on the report, please email Stephen Beddoe.