For centuries, British culture at the height of its empire determined global aesthetics, social standards, and education. Britain’s influence once stretched far beyond colonial control, shaping global tastes—through trade, diplomacy, and enduring storytelling skills—and there’s a reason English remains the world’s lingua franca. Although British literature, music and film have experienced a global popular renaissance over the past fifty years – from the Beatles to harry potter——After Brexit, the country’s cultural exports have lost their charm, with a few exceptions such as streaming bridgeton.
The Labor government aims to rebuild the country’s global influence and invest in its soft power through cultural and creative industries. To achieve this goal, the UK established the Soft Power Commission, a 26-member advisory body aimed at leveraging Britain’s cultural influence for diplomatic and economic benefits. British Foreign Secretary David Lamy made clear in a statement: “That’s why I created the Soft Power Commission to channel UK expertise as we look to reimagine the UK’s role on the world stage, reinvigorate alliances and build new partnership.
Notably, this decision follows years of public policy that has slashed UK arts and culture budgets. Since 2017, local government funding has been reduced by 48% and arts subjects have been downgraded and almost removed from the school curriculum.
“Soft power is vital to Britain’s influence and its global reputation. I am constantly struck by the enormous love and respect our music, sport, education and institutions generate across every continent,” Lamy told the outlet. “But as a nation, we haven’t taken an adequate strategic approach to these huge assets. Effective use of soft power helps build relationships, deepen trust, enhance security and drive economic growth.
The numbers backed him up. In 2023, the UK culture sector injected £36 billion into the economy, supporting 9,755 businesses. The wider creative industries contributed a staggering £124.6 billion – 5.7% of the country’s total output – and employed 2.4 million people.
See also: Afghanistan’s art world weighs on Taliban’s move to ban biological images
Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport, stressed the economic argument at a recent conference. She said: “We are determined to strengthen our soft power overseas and, in turn, give our economy a strong boost as we focus on our mission to create jobs and spread opportunity across the UK.” The government walks the talk: Nadi, January 17 Announcing £60m of funding support for the creative industries. “From the Premier League and Peaky Blinders For Adele and BBC World Service, Britain’s cultural exports showcase the best of Britain to the world. “When international investors look to the UK, our iconic sporting events, performing arts, media institutions and creative industries often make the UK an attractive place to develop and invest.”
The Soft Power Commission will serve as an advisory body and will be made up of key players in the UK cultural sector. The committee is chaired by Lammy and Nandy and includes Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Peter Bazalguet, Chairman and Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Tate Gallery Board of Trustees Member Roland Ladd and other heavyweights. Also on board was Ewan Venters, the former CEO of Artfarm, the hospitality arm of Hauser & Wirth. boundaries between businesses.
Countries at the forefront of culture-led development strategies
The UK currently ranks in the top three on all major soft power indices, demonstrating its long-term leadership in cultural policy, creative economy research and the arts that turn cultural capital into economic growth. For years, UK academics have been dissecting and testing the impact of arts and creative industries, showing how they inspire regeneration and drive local development.
Culture-led development strategies have been at work in England and Wales since the early 2000s, with pioneering initiatives by local councils transforming entire regions. For example, the creative transformation of Newcastle and Gateshead in northern England demonstrates that culture is a common tool for the development of a society’s human and social capital. In the late 1990s, a local arts and cultural organization called Northern Arts persuaded the government to support an ambitious regeneration plan called Case for Capital. The strategy injected £400m into the cultural sector, with a focus on infrastructure, education and local identity – an early model of what we now recognize as ‘cultural quarters’.
Newcastle has seized the opportunity to build on its rich cultural heritage and direct funding towards the urban regeneration of its historic city center, Grainger Town, creating not only new commercial space but also public art, cultural venues and social services. The figures speak for themselves: 106 new jobs were created in the area, 286 businesses were established, 289 new homes were built, 70 buildings were restored and £145m of private investment was attracted. Gateshead, meanwhile, has taken a different route, choosing to rebrand itself through contemporary culture and landmark cultural venues. The city has invested in transforming its neglected Docklands into a world-class cultural corridor, anchored by the Baltic Center for Contemporary Arts (opened in 2002), the state-of-the-art Sage Gateshead Music Center and the striking Millennium Bridge. Combining the two halves of Gateshead in a statement of cultural ambition.
These case studies of culture-led local development demonstrate that joint investment in cultural infrastructure and local governance can not only revolutionize the image, perception and attractiveness of a city, but also create new economic and cultural opportunities. Cultural participation has increased significantly, community participation has increased, and a virtuous cycle of sustainable development has been formed, promoting the long-term development of the region.
For decades, the UK has been at the forefront of concepts such as ‘creative cities’, cultural districts and the use of cultural strategies in urban regeneration. British experts not only implemented these ideas but also measured their impact, quantifying how cultural consumption drives innovation and growth. The logic is simple yet profound: the more diverse the cultural experiences available, the broader the framework within which individuals interpret reality and shape their own behavior. Like Newcastle and Gateshead, cities across the UK are using culture-led regeneration to offset the economic damage caused by deindustrialization, create alternative sources of income, enhance reputation and improve overall quality of life.
At the same time, institutions such as the British Council play a key role in promoting cultural exchange and championing creative industries on the global stage. While years of austerity have threatened the industry’s momentum, the trend may finally be turning.
Soft Power Strategies in the Rest of the World
In recent years, we have seen how some countries have successfully rewritten their global narrative by making strategic and large investments in cultural and creative industries. South Korea is one of the most high-profile examples: Since the late 1990s, the South Korean government has actively supported its entertainment industry, viewing it as a vehicle for national branding and economic growth. The result is the now-seemingly unstoppable “K-pop,” which began with the infectious energy of K-pop and the irresistible binge-worthy value of Korean dramas, but has since expanded to art, fashion, beauty, food and even language learning. At the time, South Korea borrowed heavily from Japan, allowing its culture to go global in the 1990s and early 2000s. But unlike its neighbors, Japan’s cultural dominance has gradually evaporated, and despite its government’s recent efforts to regain lost ground, it has yet to regain the same level of international attention.
Meanwhile, America’s cultural budgets have also taken a hit, one of the most high-profile being Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto of Florida’s entire $32 million state arts budget, affecting more than 600 organizations. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has also faced more than $25 million in budget cuts in recent rounds, pushing many organizations’ budgets into the red and forcing them to cut staff, programming, and services, even though these entities are calculated to have contributed at least $110 billion worth. The uproar over the controversial decision eventually forced New York City Mayor Eric Adams to reconsider – and he ultimately reinstated $111 million in cultural funding that year.
Although Trump’s agenda barely mentions culture and there was no mention of cultural policy in his inaugural speech celebrating a new “American Golden Age,” his administration is expected to profoundly impact the industry. Concerns currently surround trade, particularly the tariffs he is eager to impose, but broader concerns hang over the ideological direction his policies might take. Artists and institutions are bracing for further funding cuts and the ever-present specter of censorship.
