The Arts Council of Northern Ireland releases findings of the Annual Investment Survey 2025/26

The Annual Investment Survey (AIS)* is a survey of arts organisations funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) through its two largest programmes, the Annual Funding Programme (AFP) and National Lottery Project Funding (NLPF).

Today’s official statistics focus on the response of 97 arts organisations that have consistently completed the AIS survey over the past three years. It looks at key trends and patterns in data provided across four sections: Workforce, Finance, Activity, and Geography.

The Arts Council’s Annual Investment Survey 2025/26 shows that:

• While total income increased by 10.9% over the last three years, financial sustainability is weakening, as total expenditure increased at a faster rate of 14.9%, moving the sector from a £1.89 million surplus to a £213,000 deficit in 2025/26.
• Over the past three years, earned income is strengthening by a rise of 17%, but this positive development cannot replace public funding and contributed income which remain under pressure.
• Over the past three years, performances have increased by 20% and participatory activities by 46%. This figure is set against falling engagement levels as overall audience and participant numbers have declined.
• Over the past three years, arts organisations reported strong geographic reach with 59% of activities taking place outside of Belfast and 76% of organisations delivering some rural activities. This reach has been supported through the use of schools and community centres as important locations for arts activities.

Commenting on the report, Javier Stanziola, Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships, at the Arts Council said: “The findings of the Annual Investment Survey show that although total income for arts organisations has increased by 10.9% over the last three years to £65.49m, total expenditure has increased at a faster rate of 14.9% to £65.71m. I recognise that the number of performances and participatory activities have increased over this period but engagement levels have not kept pace, possibly due to increases in cost of living. 

“The Annual Investment Survey is one of the most important sources of data we have in the arts sector in NI. It is a set of official government statistics that provide valuable insights into the majority of the arts organisations we invest in. It looks at their programming, employment, investment, income generation and reach. We hope these findings can help shape decision making and investment in the future, creating a more financially stable arts sector in Northern Ireland.”

Key Findings  

1. Workforce 

• Although funded organisations reported an overall workforce of almost 5,000 in 2025/26, only 911 (18.4%) were permanent employees. This reflects a workforce reliant on a small, permanent workforce, supported by a much larger pool of artists engaged on short-term contracts to deliver, largely, project-based work.
• Based on a constant sample of 97 organisations, the overall workforce level fell by 8% over the three-year period, although the pattern was not consistent year-on-year.
• Differences in the characteristics of organisations depending on their size suggests that the impact of underfunding is not evenly distributed across the sector, with small and medium scale organisations particularly vulnerable to limited resources.
• The workforce is highly concentrated geographically, particularly in Belfast. In 2025/26, funded organisations based in Belfast Local Government District (LGD) accounted for 78% the workforce, compared to 13% in Derry City and Strabane LGD and 9% in all other areas.

2. Finance 

Income

• Based on a constant sample, total income increased by 10.9% over the three years, from £59.08m to £65.49m, but total expenditure increased faster, by 14.9%, from £57.20m to £65.71m.
• Earned income strengthened, particularly for large scale organisations and was the main source of income growth, overall. Total earned income increased 17.0% over the three years (£25.65m to £30m), including a 17.4% increase in 2025/26 alone. Box-office income was particularly important accounting for more than half of earned income in 2025/26. This is a positive development, however, continued public subsidy is essential to maintain affordable and equitable access to the arts, ensuring that participation is not determined solely by an individual’s ability to pay.
• Public-sector income was comparatively static overall, with significant movement between individual funding sources such as European funding programmes. Public funding increased by only 5.5% over three years, from £27.32m to £28.83m, and fell by 4.1% in 2025/26.
• Contributed income fell 3.4% over three years to £4.68m. Trust and Foundation income, fell 19.9%, from £3.43m to £2.75m, donations declined 18.2% and sponsorship by 10.9%.

Expenditure

• Core expenditure is rising considerably faster than income, driven principally by staffing and property-related costs. Core expenditure increased 18% over three years, from £30.81m to £36.37m, including a 12.6% rise in 2025/26 alone. Salaries are by far the largest component, reaching £25.38m, approximately 70% of core expenditure.
• Increasing costs linked to the maintenance and security of organisations is particularly visible, rising 75.2% over three years and 82.9% in 2025/26 to £2.78m.
• The overall pattern indicates growing pressure from the fixed costs required simply to maintain organisational capacity and infrastructure.
• Programme expenditure has grown more moderately, but spending on artists has been protected and increased. Total programme expenditure rose 11.2% over three years, from £26.38m to £29.34m, compared with the 18% increase in core costs. Within this, artists’ costs increased 22.1% to £18.08m, and now account for approximately 62% of all programme expenditure.

3. Activity 

• Over the past 3 years, organisations in our constant sample have increased their activity, with the number of performances up by 20% and participatory activities up by 46%. At the same time, overall audience and participant numbers have decreased.
• Activity targeted at specific groups - Data shows a stable pattern of targeted activity, with some slight rebalancing of priorities between years. Deprived neighbourhoods and young people remain dominant priorities for the portfolio. In 2025/26, an average of 43% of activity targeted deprived neighborhoods and 42% targeted children and young people (5 to 24-year-olds).
• Sector engagement - Engagement is strongest with organisations closest to the arts sector. Almost all organisations worked with other arts organisations (98%), while substantial proportions engaged with local authorities (90%), education (85%) and community groups (83%). This demonstrates a well-developed network of cultural, civic and community partnerships within the funded portfolio of organisations. 64% of funded organisations worked with the health and wellbeing sector. A sector priority for the Arts Council given the Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme it operates with National Lottery funding.
• Access provision - Physical access is considerably more embedded than communication or sensory access. Accessible toilets were available across all activity in 57% of organisations, wheelchair access in 52% and accessible signage in 50%. By comparison, captioning, audio description, BSL/ISL interpretation and Braille were consistently available in no more than 2%–3% of organisations. Specialist access is generally provided selectively rather than routinely. Multi-sensory workshops were offered for some activity by 38% of organisations, relaxed performances by 33%, captioning by 29% and dementia-friendly performances by 26%. This indicates that provision exists but is often event-specific rather than embedded within programmes.
• Outbound activity - The Republic of Ireland is by far the primary external market for organisations based in Northern Ireland. Based on activity in 2025/26, it accounted for 531 of 741 recorded activities outside Northern Ireland (72% of the total), compared with 15% in Great Britain and 9% in the EU/EEA. Overall, 87% of external activity took place in Ireland or Great Britain.
• Inbound activity - Northern Ireland hosted more external activity than its organisations delivered elsewhere. There were 1,071 recorded incoming activities compared with 741 outbound activities. Hosting creative practitioners was the largest category, accounting for 496 instances, or 46% of all inbound activity.

4. Geography** 

• 59% of activity took place outside Belfast LGD.
• Most activity took place in urban areas. Urban locations accounted for 84% of locations and 79% of activities. This reflects the concentration of population, organisations and cultural infrastructure in urban settlements.
• Activity was concentrated in more deprived communities. The three most deprived deciles accounted for 56% of locations and 61% of all activities delivered.
• Twenty-nine organisations (49%) delivered activity across 324 locations in Derry and Strabane, the largest number of locations in any district outside Belfast.
• Schools and community centres provide the broadest geographical reach. Together, they accounted for 3,818 locations, or 44% of all locations visited, and hosted 33,273 activities. This highlights the importance of the education and community infrastructure in delivering arts provision beyond dedicated cultural venues.
• Arts venues supported the most intensive delivery. Arts venues hosted 31,455 activities (29% of all activity) across 816 locations, averaging 38.5 activities per location. This was the highest average among the listed venue types and indicates sustained or recurring programming at dedicated arts facilities.

The survey collects data on financial statements (income and expenditure), numbers of performances, participation-based events, exhibitions and festivals. It also records details of known and estimated audiences.

Full details of the Annual Investment Survey and data can be found on the ACNI website: Official Statistics | Arts Council NI

* The ACNI Annual Investment Survey offers insight into ACNI investment in the arts in Northern Ireland based on two large funding programmes, however it is not representative of the full allocation of funding and investment across the Arts Sector.

** The section on Geography is an aggregate of the past three years of data.